Description: "More than 3,000 sheriffs across the United States occupy a unique position in American politics, in offices with exceptional authority, enormous autonomy, and low visibility as elected law enforcement officials. Drawing on two surveys of sheriffs nearly a decade apart, election data, case studies, and law enforcement administrative data, we suggest that the design of the office - and the individuals who serve in it - challenge central tenets of democracy and equality under the law. In The Power of the Badge, Emily M. Farris and Mirya R. Holman argue that the autonomy and authority granted to sheriffs in the United States creates an environment where sheriffs rarely change, elections do not create meaningful accountability, employees, budgets, and jails can be used for political gains, marginalized populations can be punished, right-wing extremism flourishes, and reforms fail"--
Brief description: Emily M. Farris is associate professor of political science and core faculty of comparative race and ethnic studies at Texas Christian University. She has been quoted or appeared in The New York Times, Vox, The Guardian, and The Atlantic.
Review Quotes: "The Power of the Badge is a groundbreaking political analysis of sheriffs and the ways they govern communities throughout the US. Connecting the past to the present and drawing on original survey research, Farris and Holman provide readers with an incisive, empirically grounded study of politics and governance in local arenas that scholars have long ignored. Engaging and accessible, The Power of the Badge deserves to be read by a wide audience of experts, policymakers, students, and members of the public."--Joe Soss coauthor of "Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race"