In politics, law and order refers to a political platform which supports a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent crime and property crimes, through harsher criminal penalties. These penalties may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, and in some countries, capital punishment. Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... A party platform, also known as an manifesto is a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said partys candidates voted into office. ... Criminal justice refers to the system used by government to maintain social control, enforce laws, and administer justice. ... A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens violent force upon the victim. ... In law, a sentence forms the final act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. ... Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick, Canada is an institution that is part of the Correctional Service of Canada. ... A mandatory sentence is a judicial decision setting the punishment to be inflicted on a person convicted of a crime where judicial discretion is limited by law. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

Supporters of "law and order" argue that effective deterrence combined with incarceration is the most effective means of crime prevention. Opponents of law and order argue that a system of harsh criminal punishment is ultimately ineffective because it does not address underlying or systemic causes of crime. Deterrence ALOHA!! is a means of controlling a persons behavior through negative motivational influences, namely fear of punishment. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

"Law and order" is a recurring theme in political campaigns around the world. Candidates may exaggerate or even manufacture a problem with law and order, or characterise their opponents as "weak" on the issue, in order to generate public support (see negative campaigning). The expression also sometimes carries the implication of arbitrary or unnecessary law enforcement, or excessive use of police powers. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Negative campaigning is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing ones own positive attributes or preferred policies. ... For the band, see The Police. ... Police power is the power of a state to make laws and to use physical violence in order to coerce its subjects into obeying those laws. ...

Law and order as a political issue in the United States

The expression was used frequently by southern US politicians in the early 1960s in connection with civil rights protests by minorities. Liberals would mock the southern accented way of saying it, "lawnawduh".

In response to sharply rising rates of crime in the 1960s, treatment of criminal offenders, both accused and convicted, became a highly divisive topic in the 1968 U.S. Presidential Election. Republican Vice Presidential candidate Spiro Agnew, then the Governor of Maryland, often used the expression (Agnew and running mate Richard Nixon won the 1968 election, with Nixon becoming President of the United States). The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... // The Republican Party (often referred to as the GOP, for Grand Old Party) is one of the two major political organizations in the United States two party system; the Democratic Party is the other. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries â€¢ Politics Portal      The Vice President of the United States is the first in the presidential line of succession... Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996), born Spiros Anagnostopoulos in Towson, Maryland, was the 39th Vice President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1973 under President Richard M. Nixon. ... Are you kidding?, this is solid truth here, nothing escapes the eyes of Gov!!!, not even. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1969 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ...

Advocates of stricter policies toward crime and those accused of crime have won many victories since the issue became important. Highlights include stringent laws dealing with the sale and use of illicit drugs — such as the Rockefeller drug laws passed in New York state in 1973 — and later, laws mandating tougher sentences for repeat offenders, such as the three strikes laws adopted by many states starting in 1993. In addition, several U.S. states have reinstituted the death penalty, although a series of Supreme Court rulings have limited the circumstances under which capital punishment can actually be imposed. The Rockefeller drug laws is the colloquial term used to denote the statutes dealing with the sale and possession of narcotic drugs in the New York State Penal Law. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Three strikes laws are a highly controversial category of statutes enacted by state governments in the United States which require the state courts to hand down a mandatory and extended period of incarceration to persons who have been convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and is the only part of the judicial branch of the United States federal government explicitly specified in the United States Constitution. ...

Opponents of these and similar laws have often accused advocates of racism. Civil rights groups have steadfastly opposed the trend toward harsher measures generally. The law-and-order issue caused a deep rift within the Democratic Party in the late 1960s and 1970s, and this rift was seen by many political scientists as a major contributing factor in Ronald Reagan's two successful Presidential runs, in 1980 and 1984. In both elections, millions of registered Democrats voted for Reagan, and they collectively became known as "Reagan Democrats". Many of these voters eventually changed their party registration and became Republicans, especially in the South. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... President Ronald Reagan. ... The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ...

Though violent crimes are the primary focus of law-and-order advocates, so-called "quality of life" crimes are sometimes also included under the law-and-order umbrella, particularly in local elections. A tough stance on this matter greatly helped Rudolph Giuliani win two terms as mayor of New York City in the 1990s, and was also widely cited as propelling Gavin Newsom to victory over a more liberal opponent in San Francisco's mayoral election of 2003. The well-being or quality of life of a population is an important concern in economics and political science. ... Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III, KBE (born May 28, 1944) served as the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 2001. ... now. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the late 1980s and shortly after the year 2000. ... San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, California. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay; Fog City Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Area    - City 122 km²  (47 sq mi)  - Land 121. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Recently, crime has also become a prominent issue in Canadian, Australian, and French politics.

See also

• Back to Basics (campaign)
• Civil disobedience