by Dr. Anderson

Created on: March 22, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Police are not a function of government, but of state. A critical distinction between the two must be made to understand the role of the police. The police enforce the rule of law, whether they are a beat cop, a food safety inspector or a federal agent. This role has never changed. They are not elected and survive administration to administration regardless of which mayor, governor, or president is in power. In England, the unitary government makes the laws with the Prime Minister as Head of Government. However, the monarch is the Head of State. This is a window into that "critical distinction" mentioned above that most Americans fail to grasp as demonstrated by their improper and interchangable use of the terms "government" and "state".

It seems that the role of the police as presented elsewhere here, would make one believe that police corruption began in the 1800's ignoring such stellar examples of civilized activities as the Inquisition and witch trials in more distant Western history, just to name a few; events which involve the weilding of power by the state against its citizens under official sanction.

Learn more about this author, Dr. Anderson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.