This article brings to light how in recent years the approach to stopping crime has changed drastically. Instead of solving the issue with preventative measures or rehabilitation. The United States has turned to harsher punishments and longer prison sentences. This, in turn, has created a new problem of over crowded jails and prisons and harder life adjustments to released prisoners. Data from the General Social Survey is used as evidence that the public's opinion toward how their local government deals with criminals is too soft and not enough money is spent. This brings us to the main focus of this article which is how racial prejudices influences how much money different ethnicities feel should be spent on fighting crime.
This study basis it's information from the conflict tradition developed by Max Weber and Karl Marx which basically states that people how have power will use whatever they can to gain more power and privilege even if it means going against the good of the ones below them.
This study used survey results from the 2000 General Social Survey for their method but their number of respondents was smaller because of their distinct variables that they had to meet.
The findings show that their hypothesis that an increase in belief that blacks are prone to more violence correlated with supporting more spending to reduce crime was correct and also that it was due to racial prejudices because when whites felt that other white were more prone to violence it did not increase the likelihood of supporting more spending to reduce crime. Furthermore, when whites felt that Hispanic or Asian American were more prone to violence it also did not significantly increase the likelihood to support increased spending to reduce crime.
These findings support the conflict tradition because it means that whites are using their power and privilege to support more spending on crime because they hold prejudices and when they think of criminals they think of blacks.
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