Which term refers to an elite Roman guard protecting political leaders, often cited as an example of state-controlled policing?

• A. President's Commission on Law Enforcement
• B. Kerner Commission
• C. Slave Patrols
• D. Praetorian Guard

Answer: (D)

State-controlled policing is about security forces that are tightly linked to those in power and used to maintain political authority. The term that fits this description here is the Praetorian Guard. They were the emperor’s elite soldiers, charged with protecting the ruler, but they also mattered as a political force: their loyalty could determine who held power, and they could be decisive in succession struggles or plots to remove or install emperors. This intimate link between a protective force and the state’s leadership makes them a classic example of policing embedded in political control.

The other options don’t fit this ancient context. Modern commissions like the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Kerner Commission are advisory bodies focused on policy issues rather than a standing security force shaped by and for the ruler. Slave patrols, while a form of policing tied to maintaining social order in a specific historical setting, are not an elite guard guarding political leaders in Rome.