Foundations of Law and Economics
Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach
Gary S. Becker
- Year
- 1968
- Venue
- Journal of Political Economy
- Level
- Intermediate
Summary
Models unlawful behavior, enforcement probability, sanctions, and public enforcement costs within an economic framework. The article treats deterrence as a problem of expected costs and benefits, while leaving institutional design to balance harm reduction, sanctioning costs, error costs, and the social cost of enforcement.
Citation
Gary S. Becker. "Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach." Journal of Political Economy, 1968.
DOI: 10.1086/259394
BibTeX
@article{Becker1968Crime,
title = {Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach},
author = {Gary S. Becker},
year = {1968},
journal = {Journal of Political Economy},
doi = {10.1086/259394},
url = {https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/259394}
}