Course 2024-2025 a.y.

20687 - ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF CRIME

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Class timetable
Exam timetable
Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - M (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - IM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - MM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - AFC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - CLELI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - ACME (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - DES-ESS (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - EMIT (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - GIO (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - DSBA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - PPA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - FIN (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - AI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01)
Course Director:
PAOLO PINOTTI

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: PAOLO PINOTTI


Suggested background knowledge

This course is open to students from all study programs. While the approach is quantitative, requiring a solid foundation in statistics and econometrics from introductory courses, it is designed to be self-contained. All necessary methodologies for understanding the material will be thoroughly covered during the class.

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

This course introduces students to the economic analysis of crime, grounded in the choice-theoretic model of criminal behavior. The empirical approach emphasizes identifying causal relationships. Students will explore methods that address socially and politically relevant questions, such as: Do longer prison sentences deter crime? What are the economic costs of organized crime? Do the police and judicial systems discriminate against minorities? How does immigration impact crime rates? How can corruption be detected and reduced? These examples illustrate the types of questions that inspire the course. By the end of the program, students will have the skills to navigate all stages of a research project on these topics.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • Challenges to the empirical analysis of crime

                   Measuring the unmeasurable

                   Correlation vs. causation

                   Experiments and quasi-experiments

  • The rational-choice model of crime
  • The evidence on the economic model of crime: Probability of arrest

                   The effects of police presence

                   Racial discrimination in policing

                   Predictive policing

  • The evidence on the economic model of crime: Punishments

                   Deterrence and incapacitation effects of prison

                   Death penalty

                   Open prisons and electronic monitoring

  • The evidence on the economic model of crime: Legitimate income opportunities

                   Education

                   Labor market opportunities

  • Immigration and crime

                   Perceptions and reality

                   The effect of legal status on immigrants' propensity to commit crimes

  • Organized crime

                    Economic effects

                    Political effects

  • Corruption
  • Drug policy

                    Effects in destination countries: The opioid epidemics in the US

                    Effects in origin countries: Drug wars in Mexico

  • Miscellaneous topics

                    The "More guns, less crime" hypothesis

                    Tax havens

                    Abortion and crime


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Understand research papers on crime-related issues.
  • Identify interesting research questions in the same field.
  • Develop and illustrate a research project.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Intepret previous evidence on the causes and consequences of crime.
  • Evaluate the impact of anti-crime policies.
  • Develop research projects in this field.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Collaborative Works / Assignments

DETAILS

  • Guest speaker's talks (in class) by academics, policy makers, and practitioners involved in anti-crime policies.
  • Group assignments: preparation and presentation of a research proposal.

Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The final grade is based on a written exam and group presentations. At the start of the course, students will form groups of 3–4 members. Each group will present a research project proposal at the end of the course. The final grade is calculated as the higher of the following two options:

 

  • The grade from the written exam, which assesses students' ability to interpret existing evidence on the causes and consequences of crime;
  • A weighted average, consisting of 70% from the written exam and 30% from the group project presentation.

 

This grading policy ensures that problem sets and group presentations serve as a safeguard, providing insurance against a potential underperformance on exam day.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The final grade is based on a written exam that evaluates students' ability to analyze and interpret existing evidence on the causes and consequences of crime.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

No textbook is required

Last change 21/11/2024 12:42