Which concept posits that policing serves the interests of the capitalist class?

• A. Class-Control Theory
• B. Substantive Law
• C. Crime-Control Theory
• D. Frankpledge System

Answer: (A)

Class-Control Theory holds that policing and the broader criminal justice system are shaped to protect the interests of those who hold economic power in a capitalist society. It argues that laws, enforcement priorities, and punishments reflect the needs of the ruling class to maintain property rights, control labor, and stabilize the social order. In this view, policing may target actions associated with marginalized groups or working-class communities not simply because those actions are most dangerous, but because policing helps preserve the economic and political status quo.

Substantive law is about what behaviors are defined as illegal and the corresponding penalties, not about who benefits from enforcement. Crime-control theory focuses on deterrence and efficiency in reducing crime, rather than on the power dynamics behind policing. The Frankpledge System is a historic, pre-modern form of community-based policing, not a theory about capitalist interests.