Did Legalizing Abortion Reduce Crime Rate in the Us
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When compared to other industrialised countries the US has one of the most significant homicide rates and crime rates. According to statistics published by the UN in 2010 the probability of being of a homicide victim is more than five times greater in the US than in the Netherlands and close to three times greater than in Canada.
However in spite of these statistics and contrary to general public perception the United States have experienced a continued decline of its crime rates since the second half of the 1990’s. In 2010 there were 5.4 homicides per 100,000 persons compared to 9.8 in 1991 at its peak according to the US Bureau of Statistics (2004). Similarly, other statistics[1] published annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Justice statistics[2] have highlighted that violent crimes and property crimes rates have gradually declined, on average, in the US from their height in the beginning of the 1990’s to a low point in 2004 and continues to further decrease in spite of the current economic crisis.
One would have expected that the recession would have ended this virtuous circle but instead “crimes of violence began going down in 2007, falling 0.7 percent that year and then an additional 1.9 percent in 2008. The trend accelerated [in 2009] with a 5.5 percent reduction in overall crime ...” (Jerry Markon, The Washington Post, May 25th 2010)
To replicate contributing factors and ensure sustained crime decrease sociologists and economists have tried to determine the root cause factors and have debated multiple reasons, sometimes contradictory, explaining this overall trend but none of these theories have reached general consensus. So what caused this general crime decline?
The most controversial and unconventional theory has been presented by Steven D. Levitt and Donohue in 2001 by suggesting that legalized
When compared to other industrialised countries the US has one of the most significant homicide rates and crime rates. According to statistics published by the UN in 2010 the probability of being of a homicide victim is more than five times greater in the US than in the Netherlands and close to three times greater than in Canada.
However in spite of these statistics and contrary to general public perception the United States have experienced a continued decline of its crime rates since the second half of the 1990’s. In 2010 there were 5.4 homicides per 100,000 persons compared to 9.8 in 1991 at its peak according to the US Bureau of Statistics (2004). Similarly, other statistics[1] published annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Justice statistics[2] have highlighted that violent crimes and property crimes rates have gradually declined, on average, in the US from their height in the beginning of the 1990’s to a low point in 2004 and continues to further decrease in spite of the current economic crisis.
One would have expected that the recession would have ended this virtuous circle but instead “crimes of violence began going down in 2007, falling 0.7 percent that year and then an additional 1.9 percent in 2008. The trend accelerated [in 2009] with a 5.5 percent reduction in overall crime ...” (Jerry Markon, The Washington Post, May 25th 2010)
To replicate contributing factors and ensure sustained crime decrease sociologists and economists have tried to determine the root cause factors and have debated multiple reasons, sometimes contradictory, explaining this overall trend but none of these theories have reached general consensus. So what caused this general crime decline?
The most controversial and unconventional theory has been presented by Steven D. Levitt and Donohue in 2001 by suggesting that legalized
References: • Fote note # 6 : Paraphrase original text from – The Wall Street Journal, Jon E. Hilsenrath, 2005, p. A2 This isn 't the first time Mr • Fote note #5: Critique original text from web publication no pages available (The Economist, “Oops-onomics”, December 1st 2005).