Extending the Reach of the Police Empowerment Hypothesis: Lessons From a Random Sample of U.S. Residents

Abstract

A substantial body of research has explored the relationship between procedural justice, police legitimacy, and public cooperation. These studies indicate that procedural justice is a fundamental precursor to police legitimacy, subsequently influencing public cooperation with law enforcement. However, another consequence of police legitimacy that has garnered less scholarly attention is police empowerment. This study utilizes a nationally representative sample of U.S. residents to evaluate the effects of procedural justice and obligation to obey on police empowerment. The findings reveal that respondents who perceive U.S. police as more procedurally just and possess a stronger internalized sense of obligation to obey are more inclined to empower law enforcement. Recent research has also highlighted the role of party affiliation and ideology in shaping public perceptions of the police. Compared to respondents who identified as Republican, those who identified as Independent or Other were less likely to empower the U.S. police. Lastly, compared to respondents who identified as conservative or very conservative, those who identified as liberal, very liberal, or Not sure demonstrated less willingness to empower the U.S. police. The implications of our findings for policy and future research are discussed.