ECON 4910 - Crime Economics
This course provides an introduction to the study of crime and crime-control policies using standard economic techniques. Criminal behavior is considered the result of rational decisions made by individuals seeking to maximize their well-being within the constraints of society. The focus is on incentives for individuals to commit crimes and how those incentives can be changed by public policy. Topics include the costs of crime to society, drug control, gun control, non-violent and violent crime, gang-related crimes, punishment, incarceration, and deterrence.
| syllabus.pdf |
Reading Packet:
Econofact (first day of class)
Introduction, the Becker model
Reading Empirical Papers
Imprisonment
The Death Penalty
Econofact (first day of class)
Introduction, the Becker model
Reading Empirical Papers
- The reality of reality television: Does reality TV influence local crime rates?
- The impact of 1998 Massachusetts gun laws on suicide: A synthetic control approach
Imprisonment
The Death Penalty
