The field of criminology has always focused principally upon the crimes of the powerless. There is overwhelming evidence that far more harm is associ- ated with the crimes of the powerful. This book is to my knowledge the very first textbook that systematically addresses the crimes of the powerful. The authors are long-standing and highly-regarded criminological students of the crimes of the powerful. They have here produced a comprehensive survey of what contemporary criminology and criminal justice students need to know about such crimes. All reputable criminology and criminal justice programs should offer a course on crimes of the powerful, if they do not already do so. Instructors of such a course make a wise choice if they choose to assign this accessible, provocative textbook. It addresses the most consequential types of crimes, and initiatives to control such crimes. David O. Friedrichs, Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of Scranton, USA Confronting the powerful is confronting—especially when the crimes, harms, threats and risks produced by the powerful are seen as simply a “natural” part of everyday life. This book challenges this status quo by exposing the crimes of the powerful to systematic critical scrutiny, thereby demonstrating that these elite activities far outweigh conventional crimes in their damaging social, economic and ecological impacts. The entrenchment of general misery is socially constructed by the powerful, in the interests of the powerful. This book explains why this is the case, and what can be done about it. A must read. Rob White, Professor of Criminology, University of Tasmania, Australia Theoretically astute, empirically rich, global in scope and always student- oriented, this passionate yet considered text is a significant contribution for those who seek to mainstream the crimes of the powerful in the teaching and learning of criminology. This is not just a superb book about power and the powerful—but represents a thoroughgoing challenge to them. Steve Tombs, Professor, Head of Social Policy and Criminology at the Open University and Director of the International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research, UK This outstanding book shines a bright light into the dark area of the crimes of the powerful, a darkness that too few criminology and criminal justice stu- dents ever get to explore. Rothe and Kauzlarich do an excellent job of intro- ducing students to the study of the criminal acts of the powerful, illuminating a form of criminality that inflicts the most harm and fills the world with death and devastation, misery, and want. Ronald C. Kramer, Professor of Sociology, Western Michigan University, USA Rothe and Kauzlarich provide a thorough and meticulous guide to the “Crimes of the Powerful.” Unlike many textbooks this is an impassioned and engaging introduction. A “must have” text for any criminology student! Simon Pemberton, Birmingham Fellow, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, UK Crimes of the Powerful As politicians and the media perpetuate the stereotype of the “common criminal,” crimes committed by the powerful remain for the most part invisible, or are reframed as a “bad decision” or a “rare mistake.” This is a topic that remains marginalized within the field of criminology and criminal justice, yet crimes of the powerful cause more harm, perpetuate more inequalities, and result in more victimization than street crimes. Crimes of the Powerful: An introduction is the first textbook to bring together and show the symbiotic relationships between the related fields of state crime, white-collar crime, corporate crime, financial crime, organized crime, and environmental crime. Dawn L. Rothe and David Kauzlarich introduce the many types of crimes, methodo- logical issues associated with research, theoretical relevance, and issues surrounding regulations and social controls for crimes of the powerful. Themes covered include: • media, culture, and the Hollywoodization of crimes of the powerful; • theoretical understanding and the study of the crimes of the powerful; • a typology of crimes of the powerful with examples and case studies; • victims of the crimes of the powerful; • the regulation and resistance of elite crime. An ideal introductory text for both undergraduate and postgraduate students taking modules on the crimes of the powerful, white-collar crime, state crime, and green crim- inology, this text includes chapter summaries, activities and discussion questions, and lists of additional resources including films, websites, and additional readings. Dawn L. Rothe is Professor of Criminology at Old Dominion University, USA, the Director of the International State Crime Research Center, and of the PhD in Criminology Program at Old Dominion University. She is the author or co-author of eight books and over seven dozen peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, some of which have been reproduced and translated into Italian, Spanish, and Chinese. She has formerly served as Chair of the American Society of Criminology Division of Critical Criminology. David Kauzlarich is Professor of Sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, USA, and Editor-in-Chief of Critical Criminology: An International Journal. He is widely published in the areas of state crime, criminological theory, and resistance to crimes of the powerful. Global Issues in Crime and Justice 1. Women, Crime and Criminal Justice A global enquiry Rosemary Barberet 2. Global Human Trafficking Critical issues and contexts Edited by Molly Dragiewicz 3. Critical Issues on Violence against Women International perspectives and promising strategies Edited by Holly Johnson, Bonnie S. Fisher and Véronique Jaquier 4. Global Injustice and Crime Control Wendy Laverick 5. Crimes of the Powerful An introduction Dawn L. Rothe and David Kauzlarich Crimes of the Powerful An introduction Dawn L. Rothe and David Kauzlarich First published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Dawn L. Rothe and David Kauzlarich The right of Dawn L. Rothe and David Kauzlarich to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Rothe, Dawn, 1961– author. | Kauzlarich, David, author. Title: Crimes of the powerful: an introduction / Dawn L. Rothe and David Kauzlarich. Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2016. | Series: Global issues in crime and justice; 5 | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2015041076 | ISBN 9781138797932 (hardback) | ISBN 9781138797949 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781315756776 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: State crimes. | Commercial crimes. | Criminology–Political aspects. Classification: LCC HV6251.6.R67 2016 | DDC 364.1–dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041076 ISBN: 978-1-138-79793-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-79794-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-75677-6 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Out of House Publishing Contents List of illustrations ix List of tables x A reflexive preamble xi Preface xiii PART I The foundations 1 1 An introduction to crimes of the powerful 3 2 Media, culture, and crimes of the powerful: everyday life: how we come to know about crimes of the powerful 18 3 Studying the crimes of the powerful: researching crimes of the powerful 33 4 Theoretical understandings of crimes of the powerful 42 5 The symbiotic nature of crimes of the powerful 65 PART II Types of crimes of the powerful 75 6 Corporate crime 77 7 State crime 100 8 State-corporate crime 122 9 Power, organized crime networks, and the elite 134 10 Crimes of international financial institutions 148 11 Victims of crimes of the powerful 166 viii Contents PART III The master’s tools and beyond 181 12 Regulating crimes of the powerful 183 13 A counterview: law as violence and facilitator of crimes of the powerful 214 14 Conclusion 231 Index 246 Illustrations Figures 1.1 The two main types of white-collar crime 5 1.2 Varieties of white-collar crime 6 1.3 State, corporate, and international relationships 8 1.4 Neoliberal capitalism and crimes of the powerful 9 4.1 Levels of analysis 44 4.2 Levels of analysis and relationships 44 4.3 Relationships within levels of analysis 46 5.1 Fundamental social and political relationships 66 10.1 Development terms 151 Images 9.1 A scene from The Godfather 135 11.1 Austerity for some: power and capital 176 12.1 Who gets labeled criminal? 198 14.1 Pacification through education 233 14.2 Electronic waste in Accra, Ghana 236 Every effort has been made to identify, and make an appropriate citation to, the original sources. If there have been any accidental errors, or omissions, we apologize to those concerned. Tables 2.1 Top Twitter trends (past 30 days) as of December 26, 2014 29 6.1 The top 50 of the 147 corporations 80 6.2 Monsanto’s federal lobbying expenditures, 2008–2013 82 6.3 Overall top spenders for lobbying in 2014 83 7.1 Known US drone strikes between 2002 and August 2014 109 A reflexive preamble We are often asked what brings our passion and academic pursuit to crimes of the powerful and so we decided it was time for a full disclosure, to break the chains of academic correctness.