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Police-Civilian Fatal Encounters and State Trust

Author

Listed:
  • Canini, Renata
  • González, Felipe
  • Prem, Mounu

Abstract

We study how violent encounters between police and civilians shape citizens' trust in the state. We combine nearly 750,000 survey responses from seventeen Latin American countries with a new dataset of high-profile police-civilian fatalities. Exploiting the timing of these events relative to survey interviews, we provide causal evidence on their effects. Civilian deaths caused by police reduce trust in state institutions, while police-officer deaths caused by civilians increase it, with no effects on interpersonal trust. These effects arise only when events are covered by the media, indicating that information diffusion - rather than violence per se - drives changes in trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Canini, Renata & González, Felipe & Prem, Mounu, 2026. "Police-Civilian Fatal Encounters and State Trust," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1745, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1745
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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