Abstract
This introductory chapter establishes the importance and timeliness of this project and explains how representative bureaucracy theory highlights issues of race in American policing. First, we introduce the historical context of race and policing in America and specifically address key issues identified in the scholarship surrounding police–community relations as it relates to African-Americans and Latinos. Next, we outline our primary research agenda which focuses on three major research questions:
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To what extent do local police forces nationwide reflect the proportional racial makeup of local minority populations?
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How do potential causal mechanisms such as economic, environmental, political, and institutional factors influence minority representation on local police forces?
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How does racial underrepresentation impact policing outcomes such as the frequency of complaints of excessive force and police homicides?
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Kennedy, B.A., Butz, A.M., Lajevardi, N., Nanes, M.J. (2017). Introduction: Race and Representative Bureaucracy in American Policing. In: Race and Representative Bureaucracy in American Policing. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53991-1_1
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