Street-Level Repression: Protest, Policing, and the Generation of Dissent in Uganda

Abstract

In many countries, the police are both the guardians of public safety and the primary instruments of state repression. Used to quell dissent, many argue their excessive force can drive further collective action, leading to a repression-dissent nexus. Yet does police repression spur dissent for all, or only for those already dissenting? We argue excessive police violence causes political backlash, decreasing support for police and increasing political dissent. Further, we argue these effects are conditioned by individuals' previous collective action, supersede positive support for the police, and are independent of party support. Using a nationally representative survey experiment of 1,920 Ugandans in 194 parishes, we find robust evidence for political backlash effects of repression across all demographics, regardless of previous collective action. By examining the politics of policing in an autocracy, we show excessive state-violence triggers political backlash, increasing expressions of political dissent and decreasing support for the security apparatus.