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. However, Miller's study zeroes in on the political and socio-legal institutions and actors that drive these developments and their relationship to the politics of race and poverty

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. However, Miller's study zeroes in on the political and socio-legal institutions and actors that drive these developments and their relationship to the politics of race and poverty.

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.