ABSTRACT
People evade rules, both major and minor. Recorded violent crimes in the US numbered some 1.4 million in the year 2000, and more than 15,500 Americans were murdered.2 Mundane rules are broken with even greater abandon. Most cars on US highways exceed the speed limit, and individuals who scrupulously obey the limit are not infrequently resented by the high velocity majority.3 Another crime that ubiquity has rendered almost respectable is tax evasion; it is estimated that some 17 per cent of US household tax liabilities are not reported and voluntarily paid on time.4 Journalists strive to uncover reliable information on evasive activity, though it is often hard to come by, particularly when there are no obvious victims motivated to report the violation. Most instances of trade in illicit commodities or corruption of government officials never come to light, presumably. Nevertheless, a large percentage of news reporting relates to various forms of rule breaking, despite the fact that people generally try to avoid publicity of their illegal behavior. Few of us would be found wholly innocent of rule breaking if scrutinized intensely: witness the frequency with which nomination to a high-ranking government position is rapidly followed by the revelation of some past questionable or illegal behavior, perhaps in the area of taxes, immigration, or drugs, though the most blatant offenders are screened out prior to nomination.
