Does Law Behave? A Macrolevel Test of Black's Propositions on Change in Law
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2556515 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gloria T Lessan, Joseph F Sheley (Tulane University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1992 |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 655 |
| Publication date | 1992-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Forces (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0037-7732 • E-ISSN: 1534-7605 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/2579748 |
| OpenAlex | W4240018546 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
Despite critical attention, Black's (1976) The Behavior of Law has been subjected only to limited empirical research, mostly at the microsociological level. These studies have at best provided mixed support for Black's thesis. The present study offers a more extensive, macrosociological test of his five major propositions through analysis of aggregate-level data for the U.S. from 1948 to 1985. We examine four models of longitudinal changes in the quantity of law as a function of levels and changes in levels of the aspects of social life addressed by Black. As with previous studies, our findings offer limited support for Black's propositions. The majority of the relationships investigated do not behave as Black has posited. We offer an extended discussion of two of the more consistent findings: the relation of organization to change in law and the lack of a relationship between morphology and change in law
Empirical research · Epistemology · Function (biology) · Political science · Relation (database) · Sociology · Test (biology) · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Law · Law in Society and Culture · Law, Economics, and Judicial Systems
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,14 |
| Citation span | 1997 - 2008 (12) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |