PUP-3002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Broken Windows Theory, Mandatory Sentencing, Externality
5 Apr 2018
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If the costs associated with getting caught increase, the probability of committing the crime decrease. When individuals perceive the probability of getting caught as high, they are less likely to commit crimes. If you do(cid:374) t, s(cid:373)all (cid:272)ri(cid:373)es lead to (cid:373)ore serious (cid:272)ri(cid:373)es. I. e. go after small offenses before bigger problems occur. Increasing the probability of getting caught: more police. Through their presence and work, they aim to stop and deter crimes, thereby providing order to a community and enhancing the common good. More police are associated with a higher level of competency and an increased probability of catching criminal activity. Positive externality: they produce a socially desirable consequence. Donohue and levitt (2001) contend that the legalization of abortion as a result of the 1973 roe v. wade supreme court decision is central to explaining the crime decline of the 1990s. Most abortions occur because the pregnancy is not wanted. Unwanted children are at a higher risk of committing crime.
