IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/padxxx/v45y2025i1p32-42.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding public confidence in the police within democratic and authoritarian regimes

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel McCarthy
  • Lawrence Ka‐ki Ho
  • Jason Kwun‐Hong Chan
  • Ian Brunton‐Smith

Abstract

Studies of public confidence in the police have enabled important insights into the factors responsible for achieving public support. Empirically tested in overwhelmingly democratic nations, there remain questions about the generalizability of this work to different types of political regimes, especially authoritarian nations. Using Wave 7 of the World Values Survey (n = 38,838) we assess whether predictors of police confidence operate in similar or different ways within the most democratic and authoritarian nations. Both regimes share similar underpinnings of confidence (corruption, religious identity, neighborhood trust, and government performance). Yet, key differences exist (i.e., country‐level differences measuring insecurity and instability, press freedom and corruption).

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel McCarthy & Lawrence Ka‐ki Ho & Jason Kwun‐Hong Chan & Ian Brunton‐Smith, 2025. "Understanding public confidence in the police within democratic and authoritarian regimes," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(1), pages 32-42, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:padxxx:v:45:y:2025:i:1:p:32-42
    DOI: 10.1002/pad.2072
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.2072
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/pad.2072?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cao, Liqun & Solomon Zhao, Jihong, 2005. "Confidence in the police in Latin America," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 403-412.
    2. Ben Bradford & Aziz Huq & Jonathan Jackson & Benjamin Roberts, 2014. "What price fairness when security is at stake? Police legitimacy in South Africa," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(2), pages 246-268, June.
    3. B. Guy Peters, 2021. "Studying public administration in authoritarian regimes," Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 1-5, January.
    4. Intravia, Jonathan & Stewart, Eric A. & Warren, Patricia Y. & Wolff, Kevin T., 2016. "Neighborhood disorder and generalized trust: A multilevel mediation examination of social mechanisms," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 148-158.
    5. Jang, Hyunseok & Joo, Hee-Jong & Zhao, Jihong (Solomon), 2010. "Determinants of public confidence in police: An international perspective," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 57-68, January.
    6. Jessica Di Salvatore, 2019. "Peacekeepers against Criminal Violence—Unintended Effects of Peacekeeping Operations?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 63(4), pages 840-858, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhorayev, Olzhas, 2020. "Determinants of Trust in Police: A Cross-National Analysis," MPRA Paper 109068, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Lai, Yung-Lien & Cao, Liqun & Zhao, Jihong Solomon, 2010. "The impact of political entity on confidence in legal authorities: A comparison between China and Taiwan," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 934-941, September.
    3. Artur José Sitoe & Seunghoo Lim, 2024. "Understanding citizens' perception of channels for participating in administration based on their motivation in an authoritarian regime: The case of Gaza Province, Mozambique," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 606-625, January.
    4. Tyagi, Akansha & Dhar, Rajib Lochan & Sharma, Jyoti, 2016. "Police culture, tourists and destinations: A study of Uttarakhand, India," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 563-573.
    5. Maxwell Haurovi & Maxwell Haurovi & Alouis Chilunjika, 2023. "Assessing the prevalence of unethical behaviour in the South African police service," Insights into Regional Development, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 5(4), pages 36-48, December.
    6. Ludger Helms, 2025. "Twenty‐First Century Autocrats and Their Followers: A Comparative Inquiry," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 13.
    7. Vincenzo Bove & Jessica Di Salvatore & Leandro Elia, 2025. "What it Takes to Return: UN Peacekeeping and the Safe Return of Displaced People," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 69(5), pages 898-924, May.
    8. Ospina Plaza , Natalia & Giménez Esteban, Gregorio, 2009. "La violencia en Latinoamérica y sus efectos sobre la inversión y la educación/Violence in Latin America and its Effects in Investment an Education," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 27, pages 781(22á)-78, Diciembre.
    9. Lai, Yung-Lien & Zhao, Jihong Solomon, 2010. "The impact of race/ethnicity, neighborhood context, and police/citizen interaction on residents' attitudes toward the police," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 685-692, July.
    10. Waiphot Kulachai & Sutham Cheurprakobkit, 2023. "Why Do People Trust the Police? A Case Study of Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-11, February.
    11. Caruso Raul, 2020. "What Post COVID-19? Avoiding a «Twenty-first Century General Crisis»," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 26(2), pages 1-09, May.
    12. Rosa T. Affleck & Kevin Gardner & Semra Aytur & Cynthia Carlson & Curt Grimm & Elias Deeb, 2019. "Sustainable Infrastructure in Conflict Zones: Police Facilities’ Impact on Perception of Safety in Afghan Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-20, April.
    13. Tam-Tri Le & Minh-Hoang Nguyen & Ruining Jin & Viet-Phuong La & Hong-Son Nguyen & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2024. "Examining the Influence of Generalized Trust on Life Satisfaction Across Different Education Levels and Socioeconomic Conditions Using the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(3), pages 21582440241, August.
    14. Lucía Macchia & Anke C. Plagnol, 2019. "Life Satisfaction and Confidence in National Institutions: Evidence from South America," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(3), pages 721-736, July.
    15. Abril, Veronica & Perez-Vincent, Santiago & Tobon, Santiago & Vanegas-Arias, Martin, 2022. "How to measure public trust in the police? A framework with an application for Colombia," SocArXiv 89shw_v1, Center for Open Science.
    16. Alvaro Morcillo, 2013. "Cooperation with the police in a diverse society: the case of South Africa," NCID Working Papers 09/2013, Navarra Center for International Development, University of Navarra.
    17. Abril, Veronica & Perez-Vincent, Santiago & Tobon, Santiago & Vanegas-Arias, Martin, 2024. "Do procedurally just interactions increase police legitimacy? Evidence from a representative vignette experiment in Colombia," SocArXiv 67urc, Center for Open Science.
    18. Abril, Veronica & Perez-Vincent, Santiago & Tobon, Santiago & Vanegas-Arias, Martin, 2024. "Do procedurally just interactions increase police legitimacy? Evidence from a representative vignette experiment in Colombia," SocArXiv 67urc_v1, Center for Open Science.
    19. Abril, Veronica & Perez-Vincent, Santiago & Tobon, Santiago & Vanegas-Arias, Martin, 2022. "How to measure public trust in the police? A framework with an application for Colombia," SocArXiv 89shw, Center for Open Science.
    20. Liu, Han & Ackert, Lucy F. & Chang, Fang & Qi, Li & Shi, Yaojiang, 2021. "Social division, trust, and reciprocity among Chinese inmates," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 259-273.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:padxxx:v:45:y:2025:i:1:p:32-42. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0271-2075 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.