Policy & Politics
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The paradox of security regulation: public protection versus normative legitimation

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Martin J. SmithUniversity of York, UK

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Adam WhiteUniversity of York, UK

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The growth of domestic private security in advanced democratic countries has resulted in a paradox. While the market is seen to provide a solution to the inefficient production of a key public service, it simultaneously challenges the liberal belief in a universal and publicly guaranteed social order. The argument of this article is twofold: first, that this paradox has created tensions within the sphere of regulatory governance; and second, that these tensions have given rise to a distinctive politics of security regulation. Through this argument, the article makes important new connections between the security governance and regulation literatures.

Martin J. SmithUniversity of York, UK

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Adam WhiteUniversity of York, UK

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