Political Determinants of Drunk Driving Enforcement

• In Event: Police Traffic Enforcement

Abstract

Institutional theories of police propose that police agencies operate within an institutional environment, which include powerful legal and political sovereigns and other interest group stakeholders. Police organizations depend upon this institutional environment as a source of legitimacy, resources, information and other considerations; their actions are also constrained by the environment in many ways. Many studies of the police have applied institutional theories to explain police organizational changes and outputs, showing that institutional characteristics shape police organizational form and behavior. Building on prior work in this area, the present study draws upon institutional theory to examine the extent to which, but also under what conditions, the external political and legal environment shapes drunk driving enforcement across a large panel dataset of law enforcement agencies. Specifically, the study considers the effect of state legislation, media attention to drunk driving, the pervasiveness of advocacy groups (MADD chapters) and the broader political environment in the jurisdiction on drunk driving enforcement activities. The findings contribute to our understanding of public policy implementation and administrations and police organizational behavior.

Author

• Shea W. Cronin, Boston University, Metropolitan College