The Politics of Federal Prosecution

Prosecutors hold incredible power in the United States to decide when and how to dispense justice. They are, in many ways, the agenda setters of the criminal justice system. While prosecutors and politicians frequently (and loudly) claim that prosecutors act independent of political influence, the potential for politics to affect prosecutors and their decisions looms large. This book examines political influence over federal prosecution at every stage, from who
becomes a prosecutor to what explains the decisions they make while in office.