Conflict or Consensus? The Politicization of Law and Order in the United States since 1960

Merton, Joe

Abstract

This chapter provides a comprehensive survey of the history and historiography of “law and order” politics since the 1960s. Dismissing the significance of rising crime rates alone in explaining crime's politicization during the 1960s, it explores alternative historical explanations, including the federalization of crime and criminal justice policy, new political cleavages and formations, changing media cultures and the politics of race. Focusing, in turn, on politics and policy, race, gender and sexuality, and region, both nationally and locally, it argues that while crime and law and order has served as a site of significant conflict and polarization, it also reveals powerful patterns of consensus which as often transcended as reinforced political and cultural divisions. This consensus, and the diverse range of actors and interests invested in crime's politicization, has contributed to the resilience of law and order politics across the late twentieth century and despite historic falls in crime rates since the 1990s.

Citation

Merton, J. (2024). Conflict or Consensus? The Politicization of Law and Order in the United States since 1960. In J. Campbell, & V. Miller (Eds.), The Routledge History of Crime in America (459-473). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003300151-37

• Online Publication Date: Dec 27, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 27, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jun 28, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 28, 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 459-473
• Book Title: The Routledge History of Crime in America
• Chapter Number: 27
• ISBN: 9781032291253
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003300151-37
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/36575437
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003300151-37/conflict-consensus-joe-merton?context=ubx&refId=40b108a4-7ecd-4732-88c8-ddfa6b0baca1
• Contract Date: May 16, 2024