Introduction: State Crimes Against Democracy — Political Forensics in Public Affairs

Abstract

This volume further develops work published in 2010 in the academic journal American Behavioral Scientist (ABS), which examined facets and attributes of the rubric “state crimes against democracy” or simply “SCAD”. Response to that packet of papers elicited fervent play over internet channels in the ensuing months, a surprise for academic authors accustomed to slow turnaround and terse reviews of their work. A common theme among the bloggers and commentators taking notice was appreciation for “breaking the academic silence” on grave and pertinent matters which that symposium examined. One enterprising and creative individual produced a video mosaic with computer voice articulation of the symposium introduction, posted on YouTube. Another of the papers remained among the 35 top-read pieces in the ABS 12 months ongoing, and radio show invitations ensued for one of the symposium’s principal authors. For these and other reasons — the standard delusions of destiny induced by groupthink dynamics among academic birds of a feather — the symposium co-editors planned for follow-up and further intellectual elaboration. The chapters assembled here give testament to that intention.