PS 428 The Politics of Law and Order

As American crime control policies have become increasingly punitive, the criminal justice system has expanded in size and scope, crime control has become increasingly federalized, and record numbers of Americans have been incarcerated. Class explores what is political about crime control and why American crime policy takes on a particularly punitive cast. In particular, carefully examines the social construction of the crime problem: how popular beliefs about criminals and the causes of crime interact with the media and the political system to create a style of crime policy that is uniquely American. Expected preparation: PS 221.