Understanding Policing: The Role of Ideological Proximity

• In Event: The Politics of Policing: Partisanship, Race, and Law Enforcement in the City

Abstract

Political scientists have devoted a lot of attention to questions of congruence and responsiveness between authorities and citizens. Most of these studies have focused on political elites, candidates, and government figures, and less so on other important actors such as the police. Is there ideological alignment between citizens and the police? How do ideological or partisan differences shape the interaction between these two actors and, ultimately, the policing practices? In this paper we explore the characteristics and implications of the relationship between citizens and police. First, we look at partisan congruence between citizens, police unions, and policemen in U.S. cities. We collected a novel dataset of policemen, police unions, and constituencies, containing information about the partisanship of such actors. Second, we conduct survey experiments among the individuals in our sample to dissect their awareness of their constituencies. We also examine whether partisan alignment has an effect on their behavior. This study provides useful insights on one of the most relevant and important issues in contemporary American politics.

Authors

• Mayya Komisarchik, University of Rochester

• Michelle Torres, Washington University in St. Louis