Deeply Embedded Core Normative Values and Legitimacy of Law Enforcement Authorities

Abstract

Objectives: The current research proposes that beliefs about the legitimacy of law enforcement authorities also derive from core normative values (i.e., notions of the good and virtuous life) that stem from deeply embedded cultural orientations through which individuals operate in and interpret the world. Methods: We developed a typology of four sets of core normative value systems using multiple correspondence analysis. Data are from the European Social Survey, including 52,253 respondents from 27 countries. Results: Three of the four sets of core normative values show an association with levels of legitimacy. Conclusions: The findings provide preliminary support for our model and indicate that legitimacy perceptions are associated with core normative values, which may extend beyond individuals’ perceptions of enforcement institutions. This means that even optimal procedural conduct or efficiency may not affect the attitudes of some populations, particularly in diverse, multicultural societies. Taking into consideration, the effects of internalized core values can help inform community interventions by the police and other institutions.

Police legitimacy among immigrants in Europe: Institutional frames and group position

“…Recent research has indicated that a wide range of factors – beyond performance – can shape the legitimacy of the police (for example, Antrobus et al, 2015; Jackson et al, 2013; Mehozay and Factor, 2017). The ways in which people experience not just policing but also their wider social, cultural and economic environment – and the location of police and policed within structures of power, authority and affect – have important effects on lay judgements of this foundational state institution (Weitzer and Tuch, 2006) and, in turn, its empirical legitimacy.…”

The Long Shadow of Ferguson: Legitimacy, Legal Cynicism, and Public Perceptions of Police Militarization

“…Silver and Pickett (2015) recently elaborated on how different types of conservatism influence perceptions of police behavior; extending their methods regarding the measurement of conservatism and how types of conservatism influence perceptions of militarization would be worthwhile. Another avenue would be examining the extent to which conservatism overlaps with the core normative values suggested to be relevant for institutional legitimacy (e.g., Mehozay & Factor, 2017). Given the current political and social divides witnessed in the United States, and their association with institutions including the police and government, these considerations may be especially relevant for future research on militarization.…”

Procedural justice and legal compliance

“…Roché and Roux (2017), for example, found political ideology to be a key predictor of fairness perceptions in a French sample, with more left‐wing respondents being less likely to view the police as fair. Mehozay and Factor (2017) also found that normative values, such as communitarianism, had strong impacts on perceptions of police legitimacy in a European sample. Importantly, they argued these normative values are so deeply held that the impacts of particular interactions, and the role of PJ, will be small.…”