Posted: February 14th, 2023

Describe the relationship between the political system and the criminal justice

Describe the relationship between the political system and the criminal justice system in the United States.
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Describe the relationship between the political system and the criminal justice system in the United States. Provide pertinent examples that you might find in the media. Document any sources that you utilize (2-3 double spaced pages)
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Relationship Between the Political System and the Criminal Justice System
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The Relationship Between the Political System and The Criminal Justice System in the United States
Politics is usually the art and science of running the government and guiding policies of the government. In America, the nature of politics is conflict and debate about a policy where criminal justice policy falls in place. The courts, president, congers, bureaucracies, elections, interest groups, and the media are involved in the American political system and the criminal justice system. The groups are usually mirrored on the state level and sometimes on the local level. There is a direct impact on the system where the actions of the elected officials are involved, and the policies implemented directly impact how justice is done.
There are two ways to select criminal justice decision-makers in a democratic republic, through election by the public and appointment by an official who is also elected by the public (Wozniak, 2016). For example, elected mayors often appoint the chiefs of police. The president of the United States, an elected official, has the mandate of appointing supreme court justices whereby the US Senate confirms the appointment. Nowadays, criminal law is a matter of statutes where criminal laws are made by the legislative assemblies that make decisions on the acts to be prohibited and the appropriate punishments for the people that violate the laws.
Without any doubt, politics influence the laws passed by assemblies. Several police departments try to distance themselves from politics and are effective; law enforcement has to be fair and impartial. That means all communities must be served without political patronage of favoritism. The prosecutors in the majority of the jurisdictions are elected officials, which makes them highly political. An essentially political process appoints the US attorney at the federal level. Their career paths are linked to a particular political party.
It is common to see prosecutors at the federal and state level using their tenure as prosecutors in launching political careers (Knackmuhs, Farmer & Knapp, 2020). that kind of action happened during the impeachment proceedings launched against Bill Clinton, the former US president. In many jurisdictions, Jail operations at the local level are tied to sheriffs’ office. The department of corrections is highly political at the state level, where budgets and administrators are politically determined. Parole boards’ membership and functioning are also highly political, which is established by governor appointment in various jurisdictions.
Local politics can influence informal norms, law enforcement, and the formal department policy. The local government structure can have effects on how the police deliver the services. For example, professional city managers are not likely to be involved in the affairs of the police. Still, it is likely for the mayors and city council members to get involved. The appellate court’s work is to balance the civil rights of the people to keep them safe from crime. The political belief of making such decisions by the justices weighs heavily in the result of important cases.
Politics is an integral part of criminal justice, which has a high potential for serious issues generated by politics. Some of these issues include making rash decisions, implementing poorly considered policies, and writing ill-conceived laws that hamper the ethical and efficient administration of justice. These politicians can appeal to people’s fears, emotions, and prejudices to enhance their chances of reelection or reappointment. Emotionally charged decisions are not rational decisions, sadly and rational thinking is overshadowed by politically charged emotionality in criminal justice.

References
Wozniak, K. H. (2016). Public opinion and the politics of criminal justice policymaking: Reasons for optimism, pessimism, and uncertainty. Criminology & Pub. Pol’y, 15, 179.
Knackmuhs, E., Farmer, J., & Knapp, D. (2020). The Interaction of Policy Narratives, Moral Politics, and Criminal Justice Policy Beliefs. Politics & Policy, 48(2), 288-313.