Procedural Justice, Legitimacy, and Satisfaction: The Role of Political Orientation in Citizens’ Views of the Police

• In Event: Procedural Justice Across Global and Local Contexts

Abstract

Public confidence levels of the police as an institution have decreased over the past 20 years from 64% in 2004 to 43% in 2023 (Brenan, 2024). In an increasingly polarized society with renewed concerns about the role and reach of government, at all levels, citizens’ views of their local policing agencies are paramount. An important factor in this polarization is political orientation, which research demonstrates can influence citizens’ perceptions of, and satisfaction with, the police (Ferdik et al, 2024). Similarly, numerous studies have documented the effects of procedural justice on the perceived legitimacy of the police (Hinds & Murphy, 2007). Yet, few studies have examined the effect of political orientation on all three viewpoints (procedural justice, legitimacy, and satisfaction with the police) of citizens’ local policing agencies. The current study examines a representative sample of 500 residents’ political orientation and attitudes about local policing agencies in a metropolitan county in the western United States. Measures of political orientation, procedural justice, legitimacy, and satisfaction with services were included, as well as demographic and geographic variables. Findings about the effects of political orientation on citizens’ view of their police, along with potential policy and practice implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Lisa Marie Growette Bostaph, Boise State University

• Cody Jorgensen, Boise State University

• Lucas Alward, Boise State University

• Jacqueline G. Lee, Boise State University