Newswire: 6/12/2020
- A majority of Americans (57%) say that the anger that led to the George Floyd protests is fully justified, but the public is much more divided over the protestors’ actions. Only 17% of Americans believe that the actions of protestors are fully justified, with 37% saying they’re partially justified and the most—38%—saying not at all. (Monmouth University)
- NH: Protests over the death over George Floyd and other police killings of unarmed black Americans have spread to all 50 states as well as to other countries. In the media, two opposing narratives have emerged. One America sees Floyd’s death as the latest example of systemic injustice and is calling to defund the police, while the other America is calling for “law and order” and an end to looting, vandalism, and violence from protesters.
- But polls show that the majority of Americans are somewhere in the middle. According to a Monmouth University poll conducted May 28-June 2, 57% of Americans believe that the anger that led the protests is fully justified, with another 21% saying it’s partially justified. Only 18% say it’s not at all justified.
- Most also agree that there are real issues with policing and discrimination in the United States. A majority of Americans (57%) now believe that police are more likely to use excessive force against a black suspect in a difficult situation, up from 34% in 2016. Meanwhile, fully 76% consider racial and ethnic discrimination to be a big problem, up from 68% in 2016 and 51% in 2015).
- But when asked about the protests themselves, Americans are less supportive. The biggest share (38%) say that the actions of protesters aren’t at all justified, while 37% say they’re partially justified and just 17% say they’re fully justified. The poll does not specify what “the actions of protesters” means, but an earlier question asked respondents about the burning of a police precinct in Minneapolis as an example of a recent news item they might have heard about. A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted June 1-2 reflects a similar divide: 73% of Americans support “the peaceful protests and demonstrations that have taken place,” and 64% say they are sympathetic to those who are protesting. At the same time, 79% agree that “the property damage caused by some protesters undermine the original protest’s case for justice.”
- In the Monmouth poll, the age differences across many of the responses are small. Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers are largely on the same page when it comes to perceptions of discrimination. But Millennials are much more sympathetic to the protests. They’re most likely to say that protesters’ anger is fully justified (71%, vs 55% among Xers and 48% among Boomers), and that their responses have been at least partially justified. Xers and Boomers are most likely to believe that they’re not at all justified (42% Boomers, 44% Xers, and 29% Millennials).
- They also differ on their experiences with the police. Compared to earlier generations of young people, Millennials have had more contact with the police due to the growing reach of the criminal justice system. But their experiences have been mixed. (See “More Police Contact, Less Violent Crime Among Millennials.”) Young adults are the most likely to say that they or an immediate family member have ever felt harassed by the police—but they’re also the most likely to say a police officer has kept them safe in a dangerous situation. Similarly, most Millennials say they’re at least somewhat satisfied with their local police department, but they’re more likely than older generations to say they’re dissatisfied or ambivalent.
- As ever when crime is down, we’re in a moment when policing and the justice system in America is ripe for reform (see “The Politics of Falling Crime”). While the American public has mixed feelings about the protests, officials are listening: The Minneapolis City Council just announced that it will disband its police department. We’ll have to wait and see how the public feels about this and the other reform proposals that are sure to come.
