How We Perceived Them: Invariance Hypothesis and Police Legitimacy

• In Event: Examining Police Legitimacy and Public Cooperation

Abstract

Police legitimacy presents a social value of the institution based on citizens’ normative, moral, and ethical compliance with police authority. The social-psychological benefits of police legitimacy should transcend individual, cultural, and ecological contexts (i.e., the invariance hypothesis). Based on a national sample (n = 1,022) of Slovenian citizens collected in 2022, the study aims to test the invariance hypothesis by comparing residents’ perceptions of police legitimacy in different settings in Slovenia. The results of regression analysis showed that feelings of obligation to obey, trust in police, procedural justice, police effectiveness, relations with police officers, and gender, influence perceptions of police legitimacy. In addition, significant differences between residents’ perceptions of police legitimacy, obligation to obey, trust in police, procedural justice, police effectiveness, and legal cynicism in urban, suburban, and rural settings were observed. In general, findings challenge the invariance hypothesis as differences in residents’ perception of police legitimacy in different settings were identified.

Authors

• Gorazd Meško, University of Maribor

• Rok Hacin, University of Maribor