Work

Governmental Action, Social Norms, and Criminal Behavior

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: This article explores the relationship between governmental deterrence, crime, and the strength of social norms against crime. Based on experimental research in psychology and economics, I argue that the strength of the social norm of »not committing a crime« is shaped by social interactions. Modeling these social interactions exhibits self-reinforcing processes of crime and multiple equilibria. As for the impact of governmental deterrence, I show that harsher governmental deterrence reduces crime directly as well as indirectly through its impact on social norms.

Source: Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics JITE

DOI: 10.1628/093245605774259363

Author: Patricia Funk

Institution: Stockholm School of Economics

Language: English

Topic: Law, Economics, and Judicial Systems

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2019698588

FWCI: 5.728

Cites: 33

Cited by: 52

Related to: 10