Wednesday, September 25, 2019
11:30 am
Rawls Hall 3011
Economists view crime like they view anything else – through the lens of weighing costs and benefits. Given that, we know it is possible to reduce crime by altering cost-benefit calculations for potential
offenders.
Policing is only one part of the equation, though. Government policies can be designed to make crime less appealing. One such example, as explored in Krannert School of Management Assistant Professor of
Economics Jillian Carr’s research, is our design of poverty-alleviation programs.
In her “SNAP Benefits and Crime: Evidence from Changing Disbursement Schedules,” published in the
Review of Economics and Statistics, Dr. Carr finds that staggering the disbursement of nutritional aid leads to a 20.9% reduction in theft at grocery stores. This is just one data-supported example of how altering benefit distribution can have an effect
on crime.
Dr. Carr will talk about some peculiarities of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly “Food Stamps”) that have substantial impacts on the lives of recipients -- including their likelihood of being convicted of a crime. She will describe how economists rationalize crime through the lens of costs and benefits, and explain how social benefit programs fit into how prospective criminals view those costs and benefits.
PURCE Economic Policy Luncheon attendance is by invitation only -- contact us at purce@purdue.edu.
Registration required: Register to attend
