ABSTRACT
In general usage, "enforcement" appears to be a very popular word. For example, a common theme of politicians on the campaign trail today is how they intend to get tough with criminals. Campaigns stress the need for tougher laws against a variety of potential offenders and stricter penalties against those who are ultimately convicted. Candidates who are considered weak on criminal enforcement, such as the Democrats' 1988 presidential nominee, Michael Dukakis, are ridiculed as being weak and ineffectual. Such attacks in 1988 on Dukakis led many Democrats, including his successor, Bill Clinton, to make law enforcement a major component of their domestic agendas. Not only did Bill Clinton remind voters that he was for the death penalty, but also two convicted felons were executed in Arkansas during the 1992 presidential campaign. After he was elected, Clinton managed to get a tough crime bill through Congress. Republicans were not deterred by Clinton's move to the right. After the Republican sweep in November 1994, the new majority party in Congress promised to be even more vigilant in enforcing the law and to pass a new and even sterner crime bill. The message, then, is that law enforcement should be strict and severe.
