The Opinion-Mobilizing Effect of Social Protest against Police Violence: Evidence from the 2020 George Floyd Protests

2021/06/08 by TYLER T. RENY, Tyler Reny, BENJAMIN J. NEWMAN +1 · 339 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Criminology #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Gender Politics and Representation #Gender studies #George (robot) #History #Law #Law enforcement #Political science #Politics #Prejudice (legal term) #Psychology #Public opinion #Race (biology) #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social movement #Social psychology #Sociology

paper · doi:10.1017/s0003055421000460

published in American Political Science Review 115(4), 1499-1507 (Cambridge University Press)

openalex publication_date 2021/06/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Does social protest following the police killing of unarmed Black civilians have a widespread “opinion-mobilizing” effect against the police? Or, does the racialized nature of these events polarize mass opinion based on standing racial and political orientations? To answer these questions, we use a large dataset comprised of weekly cross sections of the American public and employ a regression discontinuity in time (RDiT) approach leveraging the random timing of the police killing of George Floyd and ensuing nationwide protests. We find that the Floyd protests swiftly decreased favorability toward the police and increased perceived anti-Black discrimination among low-prejudice and politically liberal Americans. However, attitudes among high-prejudice and politically conservative Americans either remained unchanged or evinced only small and ephemeral shifts. Our evidence suggests that the Floyd protests served to further racialize and politicize attitudes within the domain of race and law enforcement in the U.S.

Citations

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