Crime: Economics of, the Standard Approach

Economics of crime aims at studying, theoretically and empirically, which are the determinants of criminal behavior and how it is affected by incentives and punishment. In 1968, Becker presents a paper that radically changes the way of thinking about criminal behavior. Since the beginning of 1980s, Becker’s paper opens the door to a new field of empirical research whose main purpose is to verify and study the economic variables that determine criminal choices and behaviors of agents.