High levels of social capital in communities are related to a number of positive conditions. Although high levels of social capital are generally viewed positively, they may also have negative consequences, particularly the mistreatment of people outside the mainstream. As social capital increases, individuals charged with committing crimes—norm violators—may experience increased sanctions and decreased constitutional protections from the state. To explore this aspect of social capital, this study examines the relationship between a state's level of social capital and the likelihood of its highest court granting criminal defendants rights beyond those man-dated by the Supreme Court.
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