Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Department
Political Science
Major
Political Science
Abstract
Findings from the literature on mass incarceration in the United States have in the past suggested that incarceration rates are strongly related to social, economic and political variables. In this study, I build upon these findings by testing (1) if the prevalence of more conservative political elites influences incarceration rates, and (2) if the racial context of a state relates to state punitiveness. My results suggest that states with citizens that have more conservative ideologies, as well as states that are more racially diverse, have higher incarceration rates.
Faculty Mentor
Brian Newman
Funding Source or Research Program
Political Science Honors Program
Presentation Session
Session A
Location
Plaza Classroom 188
Start Date
1-4-2016 4:00 PM
End Date
1-4-2016 4:15 PM
Characteristics of Punitive States
Plaza Classroom 188
Findings from the literature on mass incarceration in the United States have in the past suggested that incarceration rates are strongly related to social, economic and political variables. In this study, I build upon these findings by testing (1) if the prevalence of more conservative political elites influences incarceration rates, and (2) if the racial context of a state relates to state punitiveness. My results suggest that states with citizens that have more conservative ideologies, as well as states that are more racially diverse, have higher incarceration rates.