Maguire, Morgan & Reiner: The Oxford Handbook of Criminology 4e 
Selected chapters from previous editions
Figures and tables from the textMaguire, Morgan & Reiner: The Oxford Handbook of Criminology 4e
Chapter 12
What do you understand by the term 'political economy'?
What role has political economy played in the development of criminological theory?
Evaluate the empirical evidence that economic factors such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality explain patterns of: a) overall crime; b) property crime; c) violent crime? (See also Chapters 1, 21)
In what ways do varieties of political economy correspond to different patterns of crime and criminal justice?
To what extent can long-term trends in crime and criminal justice be explained by changes in political economy? (See also Chapter 2, 9)
How far do developments in political economy illuminate recent trends in crime and penal policy, in particular: a) the rise in recorded crime after the mid-1950s; b) the crime drop since the mid-1990s; c) the embedding of the culture and politics of law and order, especially since the early 1990s? (See also Chapters 3, 10, 11)
How would you understand the relationship between culture and political economy? (See also Chapter 4)
Contrast 'left realism' with other varieties of 'realism'. Why did 'realism' rise to prominence in criminology and criminal justice policy after the mid-1970s, and with what consequences? (See also Chapter 1).
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