"The Wire" As a Critique of the U.S. Political System

John Denvir, University of San Francisco School of Law, has published Watching Television Can Change the World: "The Wire" as Critique, Part I.  Here is the abstract.

Popular culture can have political impact. "The Wire" is not only engrossing melodrama; it also tells a compelling story of how and why the American political system fails us. Because a television series like "The Wire" not only appeals to a much broader audience than traditional political arguments, but also transforms abstractions into concrete images aimed at both our hearts and our minds, it can play a major role in efforts to change the world for the better.

Download the paper from SSRN at the link.