Rule Enforcement and Moral Indignation: Some Observations on the Effects of Criminal Antitrust Convictions upon Societal Reaction Processes

1977/10/01 by Albert E. McCormick,, Albert E. McCormick
Social Sciences · Environmental Science · #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses #Law in Society and Culture

paper · doi:10.2307/800465

Abstract

Hypothesizing that rule enforcement is linked to ongoing societal reaction processes, I base these observations upon historical documentary data regarding antitrust offenses, a form of deviance which once evoked a high level of moral indignation. The failure of enforcement agencies to create a continuously identifiable body of criminal violators symbolizing and reinforcing reaction, has helped to neutralize indignation, which in turn has permitted the tacit redefinition and legitimization of this behavior. I identify the counterreaction of business interests as a key factor in the neutralization process.

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