Social Order and the Justice System

Paper Summary:

The paper refers to the book "Why People Obey the Law" by Tom R. Tyler, which addresses the writings of various authorities who question the tie between law, democracy, government policy and behavior. The paper shows how the theories of government are crucial to the successful administration of public policies and the compliance of the people to the law. The paper discusses how the public tends to resist overly exercised deterrent measures but, if there is trust that the judges administer justice equally, the public adheres to the law willingly.

From the Paper:

"Laws were designed to control public behavior. There are many theories of how compliance with the law can be achieved, but most use threats or the use of punishment. The idea of deterrence, Tyler points out, has been widely utilized since the 1980s and has remained the predominant way social order has been maintained into the twenty-first century. The values of the normal populace are based upon voluntary deference to authority, because doing so is part of their obligation to and respect for their leaders. However, the way that a local government manages social order among its residents does not apply to how nations might maintain social order among other nations in the world, which is something the U.S. has had to contend with this century."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Moe R.C., Gilmour R.S. (1995). Rediscovering principles of public administration: the neglected foundation of public law. Public Administration Review, Vol. 55. Retrieved November 13, 2007 from http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001645731.
• Monahan, J. (1984).The prediction of violent behavior: toward a second generation of theory and policy. Am J Psychiatry. Vol. 141:10-15 Retrieved November 13, 2007 from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/141/1/10.
• Osborne, D. and Gaebler, T. (1992). Reinventing Government. New York, NY: Penguin Press.
• Paulozzi, L. J.; Spengler, R F, and Gower, M A. (1992). An evaluation of the Vermont worksite smoking law.Public Health Rep. Nov-Dec 1992. 107(6) 724-726.
• Springer, L.M. (2007). Training and Development Policy. U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Ensuring the Federal government has an effective civilian work force. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 14, 2007 from http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittal_detail.cfm?ID=801.

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