The Police Power: Patriarchy and the Foundations of American Government

This comprehensive treatise on the constitutional and legal history of police power provides a much-needed critical analysis of this neglected yet crucial topic.

By exploring the roots of the power to police in the discretionary and virtually limitless patriarchal power of the householder over his household, Dubber sheds light on the paradox of patriarchal police power as the most troubling yet least scrutinized of governmental powers.

The book offers a historical model that is already raising interest amongst theorists of crime and policing in Britain, and provides valuable insights into how the police power and criminal law can serve the goals of social equity in contemporary democratic societies.

Whether you are a student of political science or simply interested in understanding the complexities of modern governance, this book is an essential read.