A question arises in the mind that if lawyers can do so much to improve the economy, can we just pass requisite regulations and "become" a developed country?
Well let me give you an example:
In USA, 15 years after the law was passed for making seat belts mandatory in all cars and wearing them, hardly 11% people wore them. As compared to today 85% people use a seat belt to make their travel safe.
40,000 people die annually in USA due to road accident today. Which is roughly the same before the invention of seat belt. Of course the number of people-miles ( number of people X number of miles) would have increased exponentially so the invention of seat belt has actually made road travel safer.
When I used to go to US when I was a child, all my aunties would proudly comment that "we all wear seat belt here". The fact of the matter is that this voluntary compliance of wearing a seat belt to make your own life safer didn't come just due to regulation.
India is a disaster in road safety. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-17/india/28181973_1_road-accidents-road-fatalities-global-road-safety is one article mentioning the precarious situation.
Currently it is estimated that around 2 lakh people die on road in India. The problem could have been worse if the traffic was not so bad. Due to congestion in city roads, the speed has dropped drastically, hence leading to less accidents. All the city traffic police in India boast of huge safety improvement. Most of the drop in fatalities in cities are due to show moving traffic rather than any safety law enforcement.
To make people wear seat belts, helmets and drive safely requires a behavioral change. This doesn't come through regulation.
Nothing has a proven effect on impacting a behavioral change in the people. Even in countries which have found success in one change, have miserable failed in bringing about another change.
Peer pressure has an effect on ones behavior but it may boomerang. Say for instance you tell all the residents of a society that most neighbors in this society are environment friendly, are you? Many will change. But it may boomerang if you use the same tactic in another society where hardly any one is environment friendly.
I personally think it is just matter of time and persuasion. Once people get convinced what is good for them, they do it. We just need to persuade them and keep up our hopes.
