Description
Book SynopsisWhile few economists analyzed criminal behaviour and the criminal justice process before Gary Becker's seminal 1968 paper, an enormous body of economic research on crime has since been produced. This insightful and comprehensive Handbook reviews and extends much of this important resulting research.
The Handbook on the Economics of Crime provides cutting-edge and specially commissioned contributions dealing with theoretical and empirical modeling of criminal choice and behavior, including Isaac Ehrlich's exposition of what he labels the `market, or equilibrium, model of crime'. The public production and allocation of various criminal justice services is also examined, as are significant components of the costs and consequences of crime. Finally, current debates and controversies in the economics of crime literature are considered, with the expert contributors offering suggestions and guidance for future research.
With a broad set of crime-related topics examined from an economic perspective, this extensive Handbook will be welcomed by academic researchers and graduate students of the economics of crime and criminology as well as legal scholars focusing on criminal law.
Trade Review‘
’This Handbook
is a very stimulating collection of overview essays and new researches on the economics of crime. . . They [the editors] make an excellent selection of the most important issues. . .’ -- Emma Galli, Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice
Table of ContentsContents: Preface: Background and Overview Bruce L. Benson and Paul R. Zimmerman PART I: THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL DEVELOPMENTS: BECKER, EHRLICH AND BEYOND 1. The Market Model of Crime: A Short Review and New Directions Isaac Ehrlich 2. Estimating the Supply of Crime: Recent Advances Helen Tauchen 3. The Measure of Vice and Sin: A Review of the Uses, Limitations and Implications of Crime Data Alexander Tabarrok, Paul Heaton and Eric Helland 4. Dynamic Perspectives on Crime Justin McCrary PART II: ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE PUBLIC PRODUCTION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE 5. The Historical Development of Public Policing, Prosecution and Punishment Nicholas A. Curott and Edward Peter Stringham 6. Police, Prisons, and Punishment: The Empirical Evidence on Crime Deterrence Jonathan Klick and Alexander Tabarrok 7. Prison Population and Crime Thomas B. Marvell 8. The Allocation of Police Bruce L. Benson 9. The Economic Analysis of Corruption Fred S. McChesney 10. Economics of Crime and Drugs: Prohibition and Public Policies for Illicit Drug Control Edward M. Shepard, and Paul R. Blackely PART III: CRIME AND THE ECONOMY 11. The Economic Costs of Criminal Activity: A Discussion of Methodological Approaches and Empirical Estimates Allen K. Lynch 12. Crime and Housing Prices Keith Ihlanfeldt and Thomas Mayock 13. Corruption, Crime and Economic Growth Benjamin Powell, G.P. Manish and Malavika Nair 14. Labor Markets and Crime: New Evidence on an Old Puzzle David B. Mustard 15. Private Policing: Experiences, Evaluation and Future Direction Erwin A. Blackstone and Simon Hakim PART IV: CONTROVERSIES AND DEBATES IN THE ECONOMICS-OF-CRIME LITERATURE 16. The Economics of Capital Punishment and Deterrence Paul R. Zimmerman 17. Firearms and Homicide Carlisle E. Moody 18. Abortion and Crime: A Review Ted Joyce 19. Casinos and Crime in the USA Douglas M. Walker 20. Conclusion Bruce L. Benson and Paul R. Zimmerman Index
