Thin Blue Line: The Effect of Racial Attitudes on Perceptions of Police

Research on racial attitudes and public perceptions of the police have generally been limited to examining the effect of animus toward Black Americans, (i.e., racial resentment). Many of these studies have not examined a set of distinct racial attitudes (e.g., racial sympathy, White nationalism) and their effects on general orientations toward police. Considering recent social justice movements that have spurred extensive discussions about police reform and equity in the criminal justice system, it is important to evaluate the influence that both positive and negative racial attitudes has on perceptions of police. Using a 2022 YouGov public opinion survey (n = 1,590), the current study evaluated whether three distinct racial attitudes—racial sympathy, racial resentment, and White nationalism—predicted perceptions of police among an approximately nationally representative sample of White U.S. adults. An ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression model was estimated. Results indicated that racial sympathy and racial resentment are positively associated with positive perceptions of police. White nationalism did not significantly influence positive perceptions of police. Implications for policing and public opinion research are discussed.