The Perils of Federalism: Race, Poverty, and the Politics of Crime Control

Much of the existing research on race and crime focuses on the manipulation of crime by political elites or the racially biased nature of crime policy. In contrast, Lisa L. Miller here specifically focuses on political and socio-legal institutions and actors that drive these developments and their relationship to the politics of race and poverty; in particular, the degree to which citizens at most risk of victimization--primarily racial minorities and the poor--play a role in the development of political responses to crime and violence. Miller begins her study by providing a detailed analysis of the narrow and often parochial nature of national and state crime politics, drawing a sharp contrast to the active and intense local political mobilization on crime by racial minorities and the urban poor. In doing so, The Perils of Federalism illustrates the ways in which the structure of U.S. federalism has contributed to the absence of black and poor victims of violence from national policy responses to crime and how highly organized but narrowly focused interest groups, such as the National Rifle Association, have a disproportionate influence in crime politics. Moreover, it illustrates how the absence of these groups from the policy process at other levels promotes policy frames that are highly skewed in favor of police, prosecutors, and narrow citizen interests, whose policy preferences often converge on increasing punishments for offenders. Ultimately, The Perils of Federalism challenges the conventional wisdom about the advantages of federalization and explains the key disadvantages that local communities face in trying to change policy.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1. Interests, Venues and Group Participation 2. A Political History of Crime on the Congressional Agenda 3. Crime Politics in Congress 4. Interest Groups and Crime Politics in the State 5. Crime, Law and Group Politics in Two Urban Locales 6. Citizenship Through Participation 7. Democratic Accountability and Social Control

About the Author :
Lisa L. Miller is Associate Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University.

Review :
"Offers a valuable contribution to the growing field...a compelling, detailed, and informative account of the degree to which federalism and the division of power constrain efforts to influence the crime policy-making process."--Political Science Quarterly "An important contribution to the literature on the US punishment boom and problems of American democracy generally."--Contemporary Sociology "Miller has produced an important, theoretically rich, and arguably counterintuitive work that convincingly argues that local environments are being disserved with respect to crime policy when higher level (i.e., state and federal) governmental entities hold the balance of power....Highly recommended."--CHOICE "Miller artfully tackles a critical question: why have the people most negatively affected by crime and tough penal policies--who tend to live in poor urban neighborhoods--been so marginalized in national and state-level debates over criminal justice? Her keen analysis helps explain why retributive, law-and-order approaches win out time and again over alternative crime-control strategies like economic development, job training, better schools, and more social services for disadvantaged communities."--Marie Gottschalk, Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, and author of The Prison and the Gallows "This is a breakthrough book that for the first time brings structure of American federalism into the center of the analysis of America's punitive turn and the politics of crime control. Miller has produced compelling evidence that our political institutions, rather than our social peculiarities, provide the most significant explanation for our unprecedented degree of punitiveness."--Jonathan Simon, Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley Law School, and author of Governing through Crime "Lisa Miller has produced a powerfully thoughtful empirical analysis of the various ways that American federalism amplifies some conflicts and mutes others in our ongoing debates about how best to reduce the harms associated with crime and punishment....while advancing a complex, significant, and timely argument, the book remains highly readable from start to finish....the detailed, rigorous, and innovative empirical analysis provided in this book contributes to filling a major gap....The data provided are rich and multilayered; the argument presented is concise, subtle, and persuasive....Miller's focus on agenda-setting and the relationship between structure and agency make this book an enormous breakthrough....The Perils of Federalism is a must-read."--Law & Politics Book Review "Perhaps the most important measure of the importance of the The Perils of Federalism has been the wave of research that followed Miller's lead, blending insights from political science and sociology to better understand contemporary punishment. This recent body of work has greatly improved our understanding of the causes, consequences, and nature of the punitive turn." -- Punishment and Society