Showing posts with label correlation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label correlation. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Causes (?) of Crime Rate Reduction

There are many interesting ideas (which might be right or wrong) about what caused crime rate reduction:

1. Fixing Broken Windows Effect: Fixing/preventing small crimes lead to fewer crimes in general. Criticism of the idea is here.

2. Legalized Abortion: Legal abortions lead to fewer unwanted babies, cutting down the number of criminals. Criticism here and here. However, in the extreme case, it's obvious that abortion does prevent crime--if there is no more baby, there will be no crime. :-D

3. Unleaded Fuel -> Less Crime: Presumably, lead turns people into idiots who commit more crimes. A paper can be found here.

It's interesting to note that abortion became legal in many US states around the same time that leaded fuel was banned.

If I have to bet which one is the most correct, I would bet on #3 more than on #2 and on #2 more than on #1.

I wonder what other toxic substances we are being exposed to will create problems in the coming decades.