Regulatory Rollback and White-Collar Crime in the Era of Trump: The Challenges of Perspective

Our objective is to provide a conceptual and comparative framework for criminological engagement with the issues raised by the regulatory rollback scheme promoted by the Trump administration. We begin with invoking the notion of an “imaginary social order,” followed with identifying some core rationales for regulation, the complexities and contradictions, and the areas where the Trump administration favors more, not less regulation. The purpose and actual history of regulation in the United States is addressed as current regulatory rollback initiatives should be analyzed in relation to this history. In addition, regulatory issues ought to be understood in terms of their role in an increasingly complex and constantly evolving capitalist economy.