ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the relationship between power and crime from a number of perspectives. Economic deprivation and social instability may be singled out as possible causes of crime. When applied to conventional offenders these variables are connected to a general incapacity on the part of communities to express collective efficacy. This argument includes a political element, as it seems to suggest that criminal conduct results from the inability of communities to take collective action, engage in meaningful interactions and improve the general conditions of their everyday life. In brief, political apathy may be said to degenerate into dysfunctional social relationships, with absenteeism from public life hatching individualism and crime. The book also provides an overview of criminological arguments around the crimes of the powerful. It assesses how ethics can provide crucial tools for the analysis of the subject matter.
