NCJ Number
206072
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2004 Pages: 173-195
Editor(s)
Michael S. Vaughn
Date Published
2004
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This analysis compares presidential candidates’ statements about crime control strategies to presidential crime policy since 1968 in order to determine whether one parallels the other.
Abstract
Presidential candidates make pledges on a variety of topics, depending on the issues relevant to the campaign. The question is whether a candidate, once elected to office, will follow through with their campaign pledges. Studies which have previously addressed the question show that presidential candidates keep the promises that they make once they take office. However, a specific study of crime issues is limited. This article presents a comprehensive summary of the promises made by presidential candidates about crime, and what did the eight most recent successful candidates promise to do about crime in the United States? The actions those presidents took to address crime problems will be shown. The article also provides an analysis of how many of the candidates’ promises about crime were fulfilled by presidential actions. The presidential candidates included in the study were Nixon (1968 and 1972), Carter (1976), Reagan (1980 and 1984), Bush (1988), and Clinton (1992 and 1996) and covered a total of 32 years. The analysis of campaign promises and action in the area of crime control indicated that presidents keep fewer promises about crime than other issues. The analysis showed that presidents fulfilled an average of 79 percent of their systemic promises about crime but only 42 percent of their institutional promises about crime once in office. The results showed that fewer than half of the specific (institutional) anticrime proposals that were made in the campaigns were fulfilled once they became president. However, presidents were able to fulfill many of their systemic (general) campaign pledges. It is concluded that the systemic promises made by candidates set the agenda for future administrations. References