How Police Killings Shape Political Participation

• In Event: Policing, Politics, and Participation

Abstract

While the social, psychological, and public health consequences of police violence have been explored, little research has examined how police violence shapes citizens' political attitudes and behavior. This lapse in the literature is glaring given that lethal police force represents the most consequential use of their coercive authority. Consistent with theories of political learning, we propose that citizens interpret their interactions with and exposure to police officers, who are considered agents of the state, as a reflection of the government's underlying commitment to their well-being. This study employs the 2016 Collaborative Multi-racial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) and Mapping Police Violence database to examine how the number of police killings that occur within citizens' zipcode areas shapes their levels of electoral and non-electoral participation. The expectation is that the number of police killings will have a demobilizing effect, particularly among Black and Latino/a citizens who are disproportionately targets of police violence.

Authors

• Regina Branton

• Tony E. Carey, University of North Texas

• Valerie J. Martinez-Ebers, University of North Texas