Defund the Police: Race, Political Trust, Ideology

• In Event: The Centrality of Race in Public Opinion

Abstract

This study seeks to understand how Americans are viewing proposals aimed at addressing policing in the aftermath of the widely covered death of several Black people in police custody, as well as widespread protests against racism and excessive use of force by police. In the United States, public trust in the police has reached the lowest point in decades among concerns over police misconduct and racial discrimination. This downward trend is especially troubling as trust not only facilitates compliance with government demands but also influences citizen support for the expansion of funding for government services.
Studies have found that moderating factors can cause that trust to have a greater impact on the policy attitudes of certain groups. Race may be such a factor in the United States, as trust may help overcome a considerable confidence disparity between whites and minorities regarding the police, which could influence policy attitudes such as support for law enforcement spending. In addition, ideology has been found to exert a moderating influence on trust, and higher levels of trust have been shown to help overcome ideological barriers to support for government spending among conservatives. This study will examine how trust influences attitudes toward policing and law enforcement and will particularly explore the role of moderating factors such as race and ideology. Data from the 2018 General Social Survey is used to examine public attitudes on law enforcement spending in the United States.

Authors

• Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Purdue University Fort Wayne

• Lauren Howard Harding, Tennessee Technological University