A Survey of Economic Models of Criminal Behavior

Abstract

Economic theories of criminal behavior premise the criminal as rational actor engaged in a calculus of incentives and disincentives. The fundamental model assumes the actor allocates time between legitimate and illegitimate activities, with time allocation affected by the deterrent effects of conviction probability and punishment severity. This paper presents the economic model of criminal behavior developed by Becker and refined by Ehrlich, Block, Heineke, and others.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA206520

Entities

People

  • William J. Haga

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • California
  • Crime
  • Criminals
  • Criminology
  • Economic Analysis
  • Economic Models
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Investments
  • Law Enforcement
  • Money
  • Motivation
  • Police
  • Security
  • Societies
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Economics

Readers

  • Economics
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Theoretical Analysis.