NCJ Number
212109
Journal
Criminal Justice: The International Journal of Policy and Practice Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 407-430
Date Published
November 2005
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article explores the role of interest groups in educating United States policymakers concerning the human trafficking problem during the 1990s.
Abstract
While the problem of trafficking in persons is not new, during the 1990s it emerged as a major international policy concern, gaining the attention of governments as well as international organizations. The focus of this article is on the influence of nonprofessional criminal justice interest groups in the education process of United States policymakers on the problem of human trafficking during the agenda-setting and early legislative stages. An expanded case study approach was used to identify 2000 United States human trafficking legislation, articles, documents, and potential interviewees through a Google search and a review of congressional on-line information sources. Interviews were conducted with executive and legislative staff as well as representatives of various interest groups. The findings point to the variety of resources interests groups wield, such as expertise, membership, and money, to influence the policy agenda. The findings underscored the significance that international interest groups have played in changing the meaning of criminal behavior by raising it to a matter of national and international security. The often creative methods employed by interest groups to frame the political agenda are discussed as the author underscores the significance of these groups in influencing global policy. It is essential that researchers continue to monitor the influence of interest groups in creating an international criminal justice agenda. Notes, references