NCJ Number
149813
Date Published
1994
Length
284 pages
Annotation
This historical analysis compares the crime-control agendas of different U.S. Presidents over time and between presidential action and congressional activity.
Abstract
Following the introductory chapters, a chapter focuses on the establishment of crime as a Federal policy issue during the Kennedy administration and previous administrations. President Johnson expanded the Federal role in crime control during his term, as is discussed in another chapter. President Nixon, a Republican president, used the issue of crime control during his election to become known as the "law and order" president. His crime-control policies differed from Johnson's. President Ford served only 2 years, too short a time to establish a crime-control policy agenda. President Carter made a conscious choice not to put crime control on his active agenda, so there was little activity in this area during his term. President Reagan, on the other hand, placed crime control high on his governmental agenda during some of his years in office, but not during others. Crime-related activities of the first 2 years of the Bush administration are analyzed, followed by information on President Clinton's anticrime agenda. The analysis of presidential and congressional crime-control efforts concludes that most of the policies have been symbolic, providing no real benefit for crime reduction. This conclusion is based on an analysis of the use of Federal anticrime laws, which shows that most are not used extensively to combat the problem they were supposed to address. This makes them symbolic gestures. Chapter notes, tables, and a 200-item bibliography