Explaining Support for Militarizing Law Enforcement with Conjoint Experiments

• In Event: Justice, Policing, & Security: Quasi & Experimental Evidence from Latin America

Abstract

Across the world, law enforcement has become increasingly militarized. Although a growing body of research points to mixed results, the militarization of law enforcement has enjoyed widespread public support. However, in this context of uncertainty about militarization’s consequences, the reasons behind this popularity remain poorly understood. With this goal in mind, this study seeks to answer the following main questions: Do people perceive more militarized law enforcement personnel to be more effective? If so, do certain attributes (e.g., uniform, weapons, gender, skin color) contribute to this perception? Is there a relationship between militarization and perceptions of effectiveness, respect for civil liberties, proclivity to corruption, and willingness to accept militarization of law enforcement in one’s neighborhood? We seek to answer these questions through an image-based conjoint design experiment conducted in the U.S. and Mexico. The findings help us understand the factors behind public support for militarization, which have contributed to the increasing adoption of this policy.

Authors

• Jessica Zarkin, Cornell

• Gustavo A. Flores-Macias, Cornell University