In 2014, the New Founding Fathers of America, a totalitarianism political party, are voted into office following an economic collapse. They pass a law that sanctions an annual "Purge": for 12 hours each year all crime, including murder, arson, theft and rape, is legal, except against government officials, and all emergency services are unavailable until 7 am. By 2022, the United States has become virtually crime-free and the unemployment rate has dropped to a rate of 1% because of the Purge.