Divided States of America: An Application of Institutional Anomie Theory

• In Event: Threats to Governance and Legitimacy

Abstract

While the separation between the federal and state levels of laws and regulations has always created some differences between various states, the recent increase in state autonomy due to decisions by the modern Supreme Court of the United States has greatly increased the disparities between states and regions. Many laws have been passed and other precedents overturned under the guise of individual ‘freedoms’ and ‘rights’. We employ an institutional anomie theory perspective to explore how the passing of certain policies and norms of various states are associated with negative outcomes for their citizens, including rates of suicide, gun sales, gun violence, racial animus, infinite mortality, and maternal mortality. Thus, we hypothesize the more conservative a state’s policies, the greater anomic conditions their citizens will face. Furthermore, employing a critical perspective, we predict the most vulnerable of a state’s population are the one’s harmed most within more anomic states. Data are taken from numerous publicly available sources, including the US Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Uniform Crime Report, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, World Population Review, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and other organizations and sources. Social and policy implications are discussed.

Authors

• Sarah Franklin, University of South Carolina

• Deena A. Isom, University of South Carolina

• Jillian Leigh Chamberlain, University of South Carolina