Murder and the black market: Prohibition's impact on homicide rates in American cities

Brendan Livingston

International Review of Law and Economics, 2016, vol. 45, issue C, 33-44

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of state alcohol prohibition on homicide rates using city-level data from 1911 to 1929. During this time period, urban dwellers generally opposed prohibition and did not voluntarily adopt it. Subsequently, policy changes were more exogenous. The results suggest that there are dynamic aspects of prohibition. State-level prohibition decreased homicides immediately after enforcement began, but after three years of enforcement, the law ceased having a measurable effect.

Keywords: Prohibition; Homicide; Illegal Markets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:irlaec:v:45:y:2016:i:c:p:33-44

DOI: 10.1016/j.irle.2015.09.001

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