The Politics of Law and Order and the Mayoralty of Charles Stenvig, Part 1

In the mid-to-late 1960s, Minneapolis—like many cities across the country—experienced racial unrest and student protests over the war in Vietnam. Law and order became a central campaign theme for a Minneapolis Police lieutenant who ran as an independent in the city’s 1969 mayoral race. Charles Stenvig positioned himself as a populist who would “take the handcuffs off the police” and crack down on militants. In a stunning victory, Stenvig defeated both of his major party opponents and challenged the prevailing belief that Minneapolis was a liberal and progressive city. There are many parallels between Stenvig’s political ascension and the current Republican campaign strategy that focuses on crime and civil unrest. This week on Dialogue Minnesota, we present part one of a two-part series on the politics of law and order.  We’re joined by Southern Illinois University Professor of Historical Studies Jeffrey Manuel who is the co-author of an article on Stenvig titled “You Can’t Legislate the Heart.”