NewYorkUniversity
LawReview
Issue

Volume 80, Number 2

May 2005

Criminals and Commoners: Can We Still Tell the Difference?

William H. Edmonson

Go Directly to Jail: The Criminalization of Almost Everything

The government possesses a variety of tools to control the populace. Obvious examples include the criminal justice system, administrative regulation, and taxation. Because these tools involve varying degrees of coercion, the federal government’s choice of tools in addressing a particular problem has considerable impact on citizens, both financially and in terms of individual rights.