Political Science Theories of Crime and Delinquency

Abstract

This literature review provides a brief overview of four theories of crime and delinquency and highlights the connection between each theory and political science. The theories reviewed include deterrence theory, conflict theory, labeling theory, and radical theory. Although rooted in sociology, these theories are considered in this review because they met the following criteria: (1) The theory was considered significant by scholars in several disciplines, including political science, (2) the assumptions in the theory included analysis of political and/or governmental institutions, and (3) some of the major tenets of the theory focused on political and governmental processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Crime and delinquency
• political science
• theory