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A boundary can be defined as “something that indicates a border or limit” . Racial boundaries are widely used in the United States to keep certain races from achieving their full potential through political policies, social policies and family wealth. Previously, many argued racial similarity was the cause of boundaries . A recent topic that has become popular to study within this area is boundary maintenance. Boundary maintenance is the continuation the current policies that result in stratification. There are many political and social mechanisms that contribute to boundary maintenance. Studies have shown that people in power have enforced racial boundaries through the various policies they have supported . He defines wealth as the total value of a family’s assets minus their total debts. Shapiro states, “Together, wealth accumulation and utilization highlight the ways in which the opportunity structure contributes to massive racial wealth inequality that worsens racial inequality”. He shows how state power, with regard to mass imprisonment, has created a racial boundary for African Americans. Western argues that the prison boom can be attributed to rising crime, the change of American race relations in the 1960’s and the fall of urban labor markets in the 1970’s. The deindustrialization of urban areas was a critical event that took many jobs away from African American men. These families were already living in poverty and now their primary breadwinner is without a job. Many African American men turned to the drug market to support themselves and their family. As a result of their illegal activities they were arrested. Another contributor to the increased incarceration rate was the fact that police patrol poor neighborhoods more extensively than wealthy areas. Therefore the poor have a greater chance of being arrested. A political cause for mass imprisonment can be traced to the policies of the Republican Party. According to Webster, Republican politicians supported policies that changed prison from a form of rehabilitation to tough punishment. The prison rate greatly increased as judges were now given a strict guideline for punishments. Policies like the Three Strikes Law in California became popular across America and increased the incarceration rate. As mainly African Americans were incarcerated, they lost their potential to easily find a job and earn a sustainable income. They live in poverty due to unemployment and low wages and enter a vicious circle of crime as they try to support their family by any means. The economic and political boundaries above put African Americans at a disadvantage which results in increased stratification.