This course applies economic theory and methods to the study of crime. We will use basic supply and demand principles to think about why, where, and when illegal behavior occurs, and what the government might do to reduce it. We will also explore the empirical literature to understand what incarceration and policing do, how illegal markets (and their regulation) work, whether policies outside of criminal justice matter, and how benefit/cost analysis informs decisions about crime prevention. By the end of the course, students will be able to use an economic framework to analyze illegal behavior, to read and evaluate an empirical paper, and to think critically about findings from the crime prevention literature. Although public discourse about crime often involves philosophical discussions about justice, this course will eschew such arguments, focusing instead on how individual decision-making under constraints helps to explain crime and its prevention.

Course Requirements:

Course grades will be based on quizzes, problem sets, exams, and a final group project that includes a presentation and a paper. The course will use some statistics and econometrics. Prior coursework in these areas is not required, since the key content will be covered in class. However, reading and generating graphs, manipulating and interpreting equations, and interpreting regression tables will be necessary to succeed in the course.

Intended Audience:

Please note that if you have taken Econ 327 or Econ 395 with Professor Heller, you can not receive credit for this course.

Class Format:

In Person