Welcome back to Season 2 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this season, we're exploring Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 2, we turn to the foundations of the rational actor model—examining the classical school of criminology and its modern revival through populist conservative thinking.

In this episode, we explore the Classical and Populist Criminology models outlined in Roger Hopkins Burke’s An Introduction to Criminological Theory.

We begin with the Classical School, led by thinkers like Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, who emphasized free will, rationality, and the pleasure–pain principle. Their ideas laid the groundwork for criminal justice systems based on deterrence, fixed penalties, and proportionality—replacing arbitrary punishments with legal structure and logic.

Next, we delve into the Neo-Classical School, which introduced flexibility by considering circumstances like mental illness, age, and intent—leading to more nuanced sentencing.

Finally, we examine Populist Conservative Criminology, or Right Realism—a modern revival that stresses strict crime control, deterrence, and zero tolerance. We critique its approach to punishment, its focus on street crime over structural causes, and its implications for public policy.

Whether you’re preparing for CSS exams or seeking a deeper understanding of criminal justice ideologies, this episode connects foundational theory with its evolving real-world application.