THE FIRST FOUR SELECTIONS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGAL NORMS IN WESTERN SOCIETY. THEY DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH LEGAL CATEGORIES AND SPECIFIC LEGISLATION HAVE EVOLVED. THE NEXT SEVERAL ARTICLES CONSIDER THE NATURE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE SOURCES OF DISCRETIONARY BEHAVIOR EMPLOYED TO SHIELD SOME LAWBREAKERS WHILE EXPOSING OTHERS. FINALLY, GENERAL THESES REGARDING THE NATURE OF THE AMERICAN CRIME PROBLEM ARE EXAMINED; SPECIAL ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL ECONOMY AND CULTURE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)