Public Administration, Racial Capitalism, and the Problem of “Interest Convergence:” A Commentary on Critical Race Theory

Abstract

This essay reviews the analytic utility of critical race theory for contemporary studies of public policy, public administration, and nonprofit management. Highlighting and interrogating Derrick Bell’s theory of “interest convergence,” it discusses critical race theory’s insufficient attention to economics and class. It then builds on Cedric Robinson’s notion of racial capitalism to theorize the interaction of racism and capitalism and the impact of that interaction on urban political development and public administration. Next, it explores the analytic possibilities of a racial capitalism framework for the study of policing and the criminal justice system more broadly. It concludes by reflecting on the analytic, normative, and political implications of these considerations.

Keywords:

• Critical race theory
• policing
• public administration
• racial capitalism