The Economics of Crime: Lessons For and From Latin AmericaRafael Di Tella, Sebastian Edwards, Ernesto Schargrodsky Crime rates in Latin America are among the highest in the world, creating climates of fear and lawlessness in several countries. Despite this situation, there has been a lack of systematic effort to study crime in the region or the effectiveness of policies designed to tackle it. The Economics of Crime is a powerful corrective to this academic blind spot and makes an important contribution to the current debate on causes and solutions by applying lessons learned from recent developments in the economics of crime. The Economics of Crime addresses a variety of topics, including the impact of kidnappings on investment, mandatory arrest laws, education in prisons, and the relationship between poverty and crime. Utilizining research from within and without Latin America, this book illustrates the broad range of approaches that have been efficacious in studying crime in both developing and developed nations. The Economics of Crime is a vital text for researchers, policymakers, and students of both crime and of Latin American economic policy. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Latin American Exceptionalism? | 17 |
II The Economics of Crime Meets Latin America | 61 |
III International Evidence | 267 |
Contributors | 457 |
Author Index | 461 |
| 467 | |
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Common terms and phrases
activities American analysis areas arrest asset attacks authors average behavior capital changes chapter cities Colombia commutations conflict correlation cost countries crime rates criminal death death row decline determinants deterrence Development displacement drug Economic effect empirical estimates evidence example executions experiments explain find firms first force given groups higher homicide rate households impact important income increase individuals investment Journal kidnappings Latin America laws less lethality Levitt loss markets measure murder murder rate negative Newark Notes observed panel participation Paulo percent period police poor population positive possible potential present prison probability programs punishment reduce region regressions reported Review rich risk sample sentences shows significant social Source specifications standard statistically suggests survey tion trend United values variables victims violence Yes Yes