Does abortion have any connection to the reduction in crime rate since the early 1990’s? The controversial issue of abortion is and always will be a sensitive subject for everyone, and a side will not be taken for or against abortion. However, the research behind this topic suggests that the legalization of abortion did not cause the crime rates to decrease. The U.S. Supreme court case of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973 legalized abortion throughout the United States. This case was said to have decreased the crime rate significantly. The exploration of this commonly accepted theory will try to explain the insight behind Levitt and Dubner’s reasoning for the crime drop since the 1990’s. Are the economical changes in the Unites States to
…show more content…
The majority of women that are more likely to have an abortion have a combination of being single, teenage mothers, living in poverty, or often struggling with a drinking or drug addiction (Levitt & Dubner, 2009). Before legalizing abortion in 1973, these children that were not aborted were born into an adverse family environment. Because of this environment throughout their childhood, these individuals were far more likely to become criminals than those raised within a sound family. Since Roe v. Wade, the underprivileged parents chose to have their children aborted (Levitt & Dubner, 2009). Although this seems a fair argument to have been the cause in the decrease of crime rates, it can not be given all of the credit (VOX CEPR 's Policy Portal, 2015). It is logical to believe that the economical changes during the decade were the major causes in the drop of the crime rate. Several changes in the economical state are huge contributors to the decrease in the crime rate in the United States. Four of the plausible explanatory factors in the decrease of crime rate include tougher gun control laws, changes in drug markets, the increased number of policemen and their new technologies, and also the aging of the population (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2004). All four of these factors positively affected the population’s tendencies and stimulated the economy. This boost in the economy, in turn, …show more content…
The effect comes as a result of multiple gradual changes rather than a single change. In the early 1900’s, homicides and robberies increased dramatically. The cause of this was attributable to the sudden rise of urban crack markets and the growing use of handguns. Since cocaine was very expensive and crack was fairly easy to make and cheaper to buy, crack became the drug to sell for the common street dealer. In essence, as older dealers were being incarcerated, violence among the younger inner city drug dealers increased. Younger dealers on the streets were more apt to be quicker on the draw than their older predecessors which brought the rise to the violence levels. (The Role of Chemistry in History). Because of the increase of violence, the police attacked the drug markets in the mid to late 1990’s. As a result of this attack, drugs like crack and marijuana had higher punishments and were being searched for more frequently. All of these changes occurred in the years after abortion was legalized demonstrating a drop in crime rates independent of
The majority of women that are more likely to have an abortion have a combination of being single, teenage mothers, living in poverty, or often struggling with a drinking or drug addiction (Levitt & Dubner, 2009). Before legalizing abortion in 1973, these children that were not aborted were born into an adverse family environment. Because of this environment throughout their childhood, these individuals were far more likely to become criminals than those raised within a sound family. Since Roe v. Wade, the underprivileged parents chose to have their children aborted (Levitt & Dubner, 2009). Although this seems a fair argument to have been the cause in the decrease of crime rates, it can not be given all of the credit (VOX CEPR 's Policy Portal, 2015). It is logical to believe that the economical changes during the decade were the major causes in the drop of the crime rate. Several changes in the economical state are huge contributors to the decrease in the crime rate in the United States. Four of the plausible explanatory factors in the decrease of crime rate include tougher gun control laws, changes in drug markets, the increased number of policemen and their new technologies, and also the aging of the population (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2004). All four of these factors positively affected the population’s tendencies and stimulated the economy. This boost in the economy, in turn, …show more content…
The effect comes as a result of multiple gradual changes rather than a single change. In the early 1900’s, homicides and robberies increased dramatically. The cause of this was attributable to the sudden rise of urban crack markets and the growing use of handguns. Since cocaine was very expensive and crack was fairly easy to make and cheaper to buy, crack became the drug to sell for the common street dealer. In essence, as older dealers were being incarcerated, violence among the younger inner city drug dealers increased. Younger dealers on the streets were more apt to be quicker on the draw than their older predecessors which brought the rise to the violence levels. (The Role of Chemistry in History). Because of the increase of violence, the police attacked the drug markets in the mid to late 1990’s. As a result of this attack, drugs like crack and marijuana had higher punishments and were being searched for more frequently. All of these changes occurred in the years after abortion was legalized demonstrating a drop in crime rates independent of