Congress, Courts, and Criminals - (Contributions in American History) by Dwight F Henderson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Henderson has written a most readable book about the development of US federal criminal law between 1801 and 1829. He raises several challenging questions: `How well did the [criminal justice] system protect society? Did the system evolve in relation to social and economic change? What was the role of politics in this evolution? Did oppression occur?' Choice

Book Synopsis

Henderson has written a most readable book about the development of US federal criminal law between 1801 and 1829. He raises several challenging questions: `How well did the [criminal justice] system protect society? Did the system evolve in relation to social and economic change? What was the role of politics in this evolution? Did oppression occur?' Choice

Review Quotes

"Henderson has written a most readable book about the development of US federal criminal law between 1801 and 1829. He raises several challenging questions: How well did the [criminal justice] system protect society? Did the system evolve in relation to social and economic change? What was the role of politics [in this evolution]? Did oppression occur?... The political nature of the formative years in federal criminal-justice policy and process becomes clear in Chapters 2 and 4, which examine funadmentally Jeffersonian policies and decisions. Henderson does a superb job here of demonstrating the political nature of decisions relating to federal criminal-law policy. He also makes clear that in those areas where people did not want their lives regulated, the law proved difficult if not impossible to apply. As he observes, it has become almost axiomatic in American legal history that an unpopular law cannot be forced upon an unwilling public. The book also demonstrates that is has never been possible to develop a national criminal-justice policy or system; this should help readers understand where and why US policy is failing today. Endnotes and bibliography are excellent. Highly recommended."-Choice

?Henderson has written a most readable book about the development of US federal criminal law between 1801 and 1829. He raises several challenging questions: How well did the [criminal justice] system protect society? Did the system evolve in relation to social and economic change? What was the role of politics [in this evolution]? Did oppression occur?... The political nature of the formative years in federal criminal-justice policy and process becomes clear in Chapters 2 and 4, which examine funadmentally Jeffersonian policies and decisions. Henderson does a superb job here of demonstrating the political nature of decisions relating to federal criminal-law policy. He also makes clear that in those areas where people did not want their lives regulated, the law proved difficult if not impossible to apply. As he observes, it has become almost axiomatic in American legal history that an unpopular law cannot be forced upon an unwilling public. The book also demonstrates that is has never been possible to develop a national criminal-justice policy or system; this should help readers understand where and why US policy is failing today. Endnotes and bibliography are excellent. Highly recommended.?-Choice

About the Author

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