Black Lives Matter and the Capitol Insurrection: A Life-Course Perspective on Legal Cynicism

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Abstract

Two of the most consequential social movements in the last decade with respect to law enforcement are Black Lives Matter and the rise of anti-government protests surrounding the 2020 Presidential election that culminated in the Capitol Insurrection of January 6, 2021. In this paper, we explore the life-course sources of legal cynicism--including contacts with the criminal justice system--and offer a theoretical perspective on how race, gun ownership, childhood characteristics, and legal cynicism work together to explain patterns of support for these diverging social movements.

Authors

• Robert J. Sampson, Harvard University

• David S. Kirk, University of Oxford

• Rebecca Bucci, Harvard University