Premium
Econom(etr)ics of crime and litigation
Author(s) -
Tulder F. P.,
Velthoven B. C. J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
statistica neerlandica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1467-9574
pISSN - 0039-0402
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9574.00234
Subject(s) - macro , macro level , enforcement , prime (order theory) , workload , focus (optics) , law enforcement , economics , rational choice theory (criminology) , aggregate (composite) , actuarial science , econometrics , computer science , law , political science , macroeconomics , mathematics , physics , management , optics , combinatorics , programming language , materials science , composite material
Economists approach the behaviour of potential criminals, litigants and law enforcement agencies in terms of rational choice: the actors choose the best alternatives in terms of costs and benefits within the choices open to them. The prime focus of economists is on the general factors in society affecting the crime and litigation level and on the interaction between the crime and litigation level and the legal system. In doing so they have to study the interaction between the micro level of individual decision making and the macro level of the law enforcement system reacting on these decisions. Data are often only available at aggregate (macro) level. Econometric studies at the macro level, especially time series, have the problem that many effects have to be estimated from a limited number of data. Various types of studies and some empirical results regarding crime, litigation and the workload of judicial services are discussed.