Conventional wisdom says that governments tolerate the violation of their laws and regulations — by people such as squatters and street vendors — because they are unable to enforce them. In Forbearance as Redistribution (Cambridge University Press), however, Alisha Holland ’07 argues that, in fact, forbearance, or politicians choosing not to enforce laws, is a political tool used to garner the support of poor voters, especially in places where state social programs are small. Holland is an assistant professor of politics at Princeton.
