Karl Zinsmeister

Karl Zinsmeister is editor-in-chief of American Enterprise magazine, a publication of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative research and advocacy organization. In the following viewpoint Zinsmeister argues that “tough-on-crime” policies, including increased policing and longer prison sentences, are responsible for decreasing crime rates. In Zinmeister’s opinion, crime is a matter of individuals committing immoral acts rather than a natural by-product of urban poverty. Zinsmeister believes that the threat of arrest and imprisonment is the most effective means of deterring crime, but he warns that the breakdown of families and liberal activists’ criticisms of police are undermining the progress that the United States has made in the fight against crime.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. When did public attitudes toward law-breaking, personal responsibility, and punishment take a...