Why Crime Rates Keep Declining in the United States
Confounding the so called experts on the subject, crime rates in the United States continued to decline in 2011. On September 20, 2011 the FBI reported that crime across the board declined in 2010, including a 6% decline in violent crimes. Property crimes declined by 2.7%, marking the eighth consecutive yearly fall.
Experts Have No Idea Why Crime Rates Keep Declining
All the experts on crime are confounded that crime rates have continued to decline in the United States despite the fact that unemployment rates have risen and stayed at very high levels over the last few years. Experts like Professor Alfred Blumstein of the Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy, believed that the recession would would have caused crime rates to go up.
Experts Looking at Wrong Categories
Experts like Blumstein have been trying for years to try and link crime rates to things like the number of police officers in the field, the spread of crack cocaine, unemployment rates and other economic factors. All the experts today have no real explanation for why crime rates in the United States rose in the late 1960s, and kept rising until the early 1990s, at which point they started dropping.
Crime Rates Rise and Fall with Inflation Rates - Joe Dorish
As I have written about since 1996, most recently in Why Crime Rates Rise and Fall, and Real Reason Why Crime Rates Keep Dropping Even With Higher Unemployment and Recession, crime rates rise and fall with inflation levels. When inflation is high in an economy, crime rates in that economy will go up. When inflation subsides, crime rates go down and stay low.
In the United States, as inflation levels started rising in the late 1960s, so did crime rates. Crime rates kept rising and stayed high until inflation levels started falling in the early 1990s. Since the early 1990s, we have had tame inflation rates, which has allowed crime rates to drop.
Inflation is the overriding factor in determining crime rates, unless there is an extraordinary circumstance, like prohibition in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Even though we have suffered through a recession and high unemployment over the last few years, we have not had any real inflation. So crime rates have continued to drop right through a period of very harsh economic times.
People in an economy go to work everyday to make money. When inflation occurs, money loses its value through no fault of workers. Hence, workers feel as if they are getting a raw deal. When people feel they are getting a raw deal, they get angry and are much more likely to commit crimes.
That's why crime rates rise and fall based upon inflation levels. For more read Why Crime Rates Rise and Fall and Real Reason Why Crime Rates Rates Keep Dropping Even With Higher Unemployment and Recession.
For more see US Economy Will Mirror Japan Until Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates
Why Warren Buffet Should Ignored On Tax Policy
What's Wrong With Ben Bernanke
Is Silver Still a Good Investment?
Experts Have No Idea Why Crime Rates Keep Declining
All the experts on crime are confounded that crime rates have continued to decline in the United States despite the fact that unemployment rates have risen and stayed at very high levels over the last few years. Experts like Professor Alfred Blumstein of the Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy, believed that the recession would would have caused crime rates to go up.
Experts Looking at Wrong Categories
Experts like Blumstein have been trying for years to try and link crime rates to things like the number of police officers in the field, the spread of crack cocaine, unemployment rates and other economic factors. All the experts today have no real explanation for why crime rates in the United States rose in the late 1960s, and kept rising until the early 1990s, at which point they started dropping.
Crime Rates Rise and Fall with Inflation Rates - Joe Dorish
As I have written about since 1996, most recently in Why Crime Rates Rise and Fall, and Real Reason Why Crime Rates Keep Dropping Even With Higher Unemployment and Recession, crime rates rise and fall with inflation levels. When inflation is high in an economy, crime rates in that economy will go up. When inflation subsides, crime rates go down and stay low.
In the United States, as inflation levels started rising in the late 1960s, so did crime rates. Crime rates kept rising and stayed high until inflation levels started falling in the early 1990s. Since the early 1990s, we have had tame inflation rates, which has allowed crime rates to drop.
Inflation is the overriding factor in determining crime rates, unless there is an extraordinary circumstance, like prohibition in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Even though we have suffered through a recession and high unemployment over the last few years, we have not had any real inflation. So crime rates have continued to drop right through a period of very harsh economic times.
People in an economy go to work everyday to make money. When inflation occurs, money loses its value through no fault of workers. Hence, workers feel as if they are getting a raw deal. When people feel they are getting a raw deal, they get angry and are much more likely to commit crimes.
That's why crime rates rise and fall based upon inflation levels. For more read Why Crime Rates Rise and Fall and Real Reason Why Crime Rates Rates Keep Dropping Even With Higher Unemployment and Recession.
For more see US Economy Will Mirror Japan Until Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates
Why Warren Buffet Should Ignored On Tax Policy
What's Wrong With Ben Bernanke
Is Silver Still a Good Investment?
Published by Joe Dorish
Joe Dorish is a writer who lives in the NYC area. He writes primarily about the things he is passionate about - sports, business, economics, weather and travel. He loves to drive and used to own a Limo compa... View profile
- What is Inflation?To understand inflation it is necessary to understand why money has value in the first place. Money has value because there is a limited supply of it and people want it. Since people want money it can be exchanged f...
Inflation: The Good, the Bad and the UglyIn the world of economics, inflation is one tricky term. Everyone knows that prices go up over time. 60 years back you could buy a loaf of bread for $0.15, which now costs aroun...- Employment Outlook is Bright, but Inflation May Weigh on Economy in 07Increased labor costs have been a catalyst to employment figures. The Federal Reserve is somewhat concerned that employers will filter this extra cost down to consumers, which would result in inflation.
- The Right to Bear Arms: Gun Control in the United StatesThe debate of gun control has been going strong within the United States for several decades and does not appear that it will wane any time soon.
The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Grant HillWith the Phoenix Suns entering the Western Conference Finals against the LA Lakers, we look at one of their key pieces in Grant Hill, and his rise and fall and rise again in the...
- Summer Crime Rates: Does Crime Take a Summer Vacation, Too?
- Media Misrepresentation of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees' Effect on Houston Crime Rates
- Juvenile Crime, Opposing Views on Causes and Solutions
- Violent Crime: Everybody's Business
- D.C. After Dusk: Crime in the Capital Continues
- Campaign Issue: Gangs and Crime in North Carolina
- Rising Violent Crime and the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports in Post 9-11 America