When Governors Speak Up for Justice: Punishment Politics and Mass Incarceration in the American States

Journal of Political Science and Public Affairs, Vol. 1:1-12, 2013

12 Pages Posted: 23 Jun 2013

See all articles by Isaac Unah

Isaac Unah

Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Elizabeth Coggins

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill

Date Written: March 14, 2013

Abstract

The tension created by the drop in violent crime since the 1990s and the sustained increase in mass incarceration in the American states during that period constitutes a phenomenon of great theoretical and policy relevance. Previous accounts of this tension centered on theories of group conflict and instrumentalism. We introduce a rhetorical framework for understanding mass incarceration. We argue that a key contributor to the mass incarceration boom is the use of aggressive political rhetoric by state governors to communicate the crime problem. Using data partially derived through content analysis of state of the state addresses of governors from all 50 states, we test this rhetoric theory and evaluate its implications alongside instrumental and conflict-based explanations of mass incarceration. Our analysis indicates that gubernatorial rhetoric has strong effect on mass incarceration but that this effect is moderated by the institutional power of the governor. Instrumentalism is not supported. The overriding implication of our findings is that mass incarceration is overwhelmingly a policy consequence of the punitive political rhetoric employed by state leaders to exploit the crime problem and mobilize political support.

Keywords: Mass Incarceration, Prisons, Governors, State of the State Address, Punishment Politics, Political Rhetoric, Instrumentalism

Suggested Citation

Unah, Isaac and Coggins, Elizabeth, When Governors Speak Up for Justice: Punishment Politics and Mass Incarceration in the American States (March 14, 2013). Journal of Political Science and Public Affairs, Vol. 1:1-12, 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2283629

Isaac Unah (Contact Author)

Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill ( email )

361 Hamilton Hall
CB#3265
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
United States

Elizabeth Coggins

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill ( email )

102 Ridge Road
Chapel Hill, NC NC 27514
United States

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