Crime, Punishment, and Politics

Catalog description

This class uses theories and tools from the social sciences to understand criminal behavior in a variety of settings. It examines whether we can use rational choice theories to explain patterns of offending and the organization and operation of illicit markets. We will investigate the different way that governments seek to control crime, as well as, non-state alternatives to public safety. Organized crime groups have significant influence in communities both historically and today, so we study why they exist and how they organize. Finally, we look at how political institutions affect crime and the operation of the criminal legal system, including persistent problems of racial disparities at all points in the system.