Law and order
- This article is about the political rhetoric of law and order, for the television show, please see Law & Order.
"Law and order" commonly denotes a category of political rhetoric that emphasize on public safety and strong law enforcement to reduce crime. Politicians who espouse to "law and order" typically support toughening of penalties and lengthening of imprisonment on violent and drug crimes, and oppose rehabilitation of criminals as an alternative of incarceration. Most also support the use of death penalty. In elections, they generally appeal to voters who are either conservative or populist, and in areas with high crime rates their rhetoric has often been effective. One example of advocates of law and order politics in the United States is Bill O'Reilly.
Critics of law and order politics often point out that the tough on crime mentality often fuels police brutality and over-harsh criminal codes. Long prison terms cause prison overpopulation. There are also concerns on the right of the accused (due process) being damaged in a society where law and order politics prevails.