Law enforcement and criminality: Europe vs. USA

Dominique Demougin () and Robert Schwager

No 99-44, ZEW Discussion Papers from ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research

Abstract: We use a stylized model to show that, if transfers to the poor are founded on a security argument, there is a negative trade-o¤ between law enforcement expenditures and criminality. In contrast, if transfers are based on altruism, the correlation between the same variables may appear positive. We argue that it provides a plausible explanation for the startling di¤erence between the US and Europe in crime statistics and law enforcement expenditures.

Keywords: Criminality; law enforcement; social system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H3 K0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
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Journal Article: Law enforcement and criminality: Europe vs. USA (2003)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5257

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