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Rethinking Public Opinion in Penal Policymaking: Recommendations for Research
Article first published online: 23 JUL 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2012.00481.x
© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
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How to Cite
Brown, E. K. (2012), Rethinking Public Opinion in Penal Policymaking: Recommendations for Research. Sociology Compass, 6: 601–613. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2012.00481.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 23 JUL 2012
- Article first published online: 23 JUL 2012
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Abstract
Public opinion is often described as a powerful force in penal policymaking in the USA. Unfortunately, research on public opinion in penal policymaking has been limited by inattention to a number of important variables: definitions of public opinion, individual and interpersonal constructions of public opinion by political leaders themselves, state differences in historical contexts and political cultures regarding public engagement and political influence, and diversity in the roles of public opinion at different levels of government. This paper considers current dilemmas in this area of inquiry and reviews recent research in order to highlight potentially fruitful new directions for research.