How economic policy impacts crime – new video uploaded to AP Video Hub
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —
A video featuring Jillian Carr, associate professor of economics in Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management, has been uploaded to the AP Video Hub. In this video, she explains how economic policies affect crime in intended and unintended ways. This video can be found at https://apvideohub.ap.org/detail/Howeconomicpolicyimpactscrime/8b5de7f8c7404970b847f1c26edc7fd2/video?hpSectionId=2293806a10614a0e876a24f1bb66e24a&st=hpsection&mediaType=video&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=32¤tItemNo=0. All videos in the Campus Insights series are free for download and use by all AP members and can be found at apvideohub.ap.org or by doing a general search on the Associated Press site. AP members may use the video or pull quotes for print articles, broadcasts or podcasts.
Storyline
Jillian Carr is an associate professor of economics at Purdue University. In this video, she explains how economic policies affect crime in intended and unintended ways. Carr says that economic policy primarily impacts crime because it impacts people’s resources. When people lack resources, they are more likely to commit crimes. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has a primary goal of feeding people. By giving people this resource, the program has an additional unintended consequence of reducing crime. Economists need to think of all the likely outcomes when implementing a policy to make sure that it accomplishes its goal without having unintended negative consequences. For example, Carr studied a juvenile curfew implemented in Washington, D.C., that was meant to reduce gun violence. However, more gunshots were reported after the curfew was implemented because it was easier to commit crime when fewer people were around.