Maintaining Allegiance toward Political Authorities: The Role of Prior Attitudes and the Use of Fair Procedures

Abstract

This study examines the impact of experience with the criminal justice system on defendant attitudes toward legal authorities, law, and government. Our focus is on the extent to which particular experiences affect more general attitudes toward the political system in which courts are embedded. We are particularly concerned with assessing the relative impact of prior attitudes and particular features of current experience (e.g., outcome favorability, distributive justice, and procedural justice) on this generalization process. The data come from a panel study of felony defendants in three cities. Our results suggest two major conclusions. First, personal experiences with government agencies have an impact on broader attitudes toward government. Second, this generalization process is not dominated by the favorability of the outcome for the citizen, even in situations in which the stakes are especially high. The fairness of the experience has a substantial influence on the lessons about the nature of law and government that citizens learn from their encounters with government institutions.