The populism of fear
- 1 January 2003
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Punishment & Society
- Vol. 5 (1), 77-96
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474503005001293
Abstract
In democratic countries, at least in the western hemisphere, there has been a political trend toward appealing to the fear of crime as a popular issue in electoral campaigns, as well as more generally as a way of attracting public notice. The trend is likely to be particularly strong in countries in which major offices are openly contested for election, but economic inequality is pronounced and the willingness or ability of the government to deliver social services is limited. Under those conditions, there is a strong temptation to find an issue that will appeal to all classes; the issue of crime and the consequent fear of insecurity is an obvious issue that is frequently used and is sometimes even exaggerated in the hope of enlisting popular support. This article examines this phenomenon in recent years in Argentina, particularly in Buenos Aires, in Brazil, particularly in São Paulo, in Mexico and Mexico City, and in the USA, as exemplified by New York State.Keywords
This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- Striking out in democracyPunishment & Society, 2002
- The Failings of The International Financial ArchitectureNACLA Report on the Americas, 1999
- Reflecting on the Subject: A Critique of the Social Influence Conception of Deterrence, the Broken Windows Theory, and Order-Maintenance Policing New York StyleMichigan Law Review, 1998
- La sécurité dans les villes d'Amérique Latine : sociétés (non) civiles sous la loi démocratiquePauloRevue Europeenne Des Migrations Internationales, 1998
- The Vicious Cycles of Mexican DebtNACLA Report on the Americas, 1997
- Three Strikes and You Are Out, but Why? The Psychology of Public Support for Punishing Rule BreakersLaw & Society Review, 1997
- Policing the Ghetto Underclass: The Politics of Law and Law EnforcementSocial Problems, 1994
- Punitive Attitudes toward Criminals: Racial Consensus or Racial Conflict?Social Problems, 1991
- War Making and State Making as Organized CrimePublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,1985
- Policing the CrisisPublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,1978