Abstract
Presidential candidates regularly use crime issues to help win electoral support. Contrary to conventional wisdom, crime control also became an issue in the 2000 presidential campaign. Despite decreasing crime rates, the debate was driven by public opinion. Because the crime debate was fueled by perception rather than reality, it is argued that the symbolic nature of the debate became important in providing reassurance to the American public. This finding points to the importance of symbolic rhetoric by presidential candidates in appealing to voters and increasing public support.
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Marion, N.E., Farmer, R. Crime control in the 2000 presidential election: A symbolic issue. Am J Crim Just 27, 129–144 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885690
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885690