Examining the relationship between law enforcement agency support of anti-black racism and black people's evaluations of policing style: the moderating impact of sex

The purpose of our research is to improve our understanding of the problematic relationship that exists between law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and African-American/Black communities in the United States of America. We focus on LEA support of anti-Black racism and seek to integrate research on the Trump effect into the guardian-officer vs. warrior-cop literature. On the basis that former U.S. President Donald J. Trump represented an anti-Black leader who (1) prioritized authoritarianism and (2) disregarded ethical norms, we rely on social cognitive theory to examine and clarify the relationship between LEA support for Trump (i.e., a proxy for anti-Black racism) and LEA policing style. In a sample of 376 self-identified Black adults, we find that as perceived LEA support for Trump increases, Black people are more likely to rate LEAs higher on LEA authoritarian policing style (aligns with the warrior-cop philosophy) and lower on LEA ethical policing style (aligns with the guardian-officer philosophy). We also position sex as a moderator and discuss when differences exist between Black men and Black women. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.