Senior Citizens as a Pro-Police Interest Group

Rebecca Goldstein

doi:10.1561/113.00000039

journal article Jun 10, 2021

Senior Citizens as a Pro-Police Interest Group

Rebecca Goldstein

Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy Vol. 2 No. 2 pp. 303-328 · Emerald

View at Publisher Save 10.1561/113.00000039

Abstract

Which groups and individuals influence policy through their political activities? Criminal justice policy, because it is made at the local level, is often excluded from the study of interest group politics. In this paper, I provide evidence that senior citizens operate as a pro-police interest group at the city level. First, I show that senior citizens' attitudes are much more pro-police than their younger counterparts, even within the same race groups. Second, I show that cities with a greater share of residents 65 or older have larger and better-funded police departments, all else equal. These results have important implications for the study of interest groups, racial and ethnic politics, and criminal justice policy.

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Published: Jun 10, 2021
Vol/Issue: 2(2)
Pages: 303-328

Authors

R

Rebecca Goldstein

Assistant Professor, Jurisprudence & Social Policy Program, UC Berkeley School of Law , 2240 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720 ,

Cite This Article

Rebecca Goldstein (2021). Senior Citizens as a Pro-Police Interest Group. Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, 2(2), 303-328. https://doi.org/10.1561/113.00000039

Senior Citizens as a Pro-Police Interest Group

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