State Crime Flashcards
What are acts defined by law as criminal and committed by state officials called?
State crime
Chambliss defines acts that violate international law as state crime.
What does state crime include according to Crothe and Mullins (2008)?
Legally permissible acts with consequences similar to illegal acts
These acts cause harm similar to that of illegal acts.
What are the types of state crime identified by Eugene McLaughlin?
- Political Crimes
- Economic Crimes
- Social/Cultural Crimes
What correlation is noted between corruption, armed conflict, and poverty?
Higher levels of corruption correlate with increased armed conflict and poverty
The Economic Corruption Index shows Afghanistan at the bottom and Scandinavian countries at the top.
What is an example of an economic crime related to health and safety violations?
Chernobyl disaster
The explosion at the nuclear power plant released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere.
What economic policies can cause harm to the population?
Austerity measures
These policies often lead to increased unemployment, reduced economic growth, and greater inequality.
What is institutional racism?
Systematic targeting of certain ethnicities by police
Bauman (1989) discusses how certain societal structures make these acts possible.
What does bureaucratisation refer to in the context of state crime?
Normalising acts and making them repetitive routines
This process can desensitize individuals to the harm being done.
What is instrumental rationality?
Using rational, efficient methods to achieve a goal, regardless of the goal itself
What does the scale of state crime refer to?
The widespread impact of state crimes, like the Khmer Rouge government killing up to 1/5 of Cambodia’s population
How does the state conceal its crimes?
By creating laws that benefit their deviant actions
Marxist perspectives highlight how the state is a source of law.
What is the process of authorisation in state crime?
Acts approved by those in power where normal moral principles are replaced by duty to obey
What is routinisation in the context of state crime?
When acts become routine behaviors
This can lead to desensitization and normalization of harmful actions.
What is the culture of denial as described by Cohen?
A process where events are minimized or justified in several stages
Stages include denial, justifying the event, and normalizing it.
What does dehumanization involve in the context of state crimes?
Portraying victims as sub-human
This helps justify harmful actions against them.
What is neutralization theory?
Justification of actions through denial of responsibility, injury, or victimhood
Sykes and Matza (1957) discuss how moral principles are circumvented.
