The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime

Another core argument in the pro-choice campaign is that abortion is strongly correlated with reducing crime rates. Donohue and Levitt from “The Impact of Legalized abortion on Crime” write, We offer evidence that legalized abortion has contributed significantly to recent crime reductions. Crime began to fall roughly 18 years after abortion legalization. The 5 states that allowed abortion in 1970 experienced declines earlier than the rest of the nation, which legalized in 1973 with Roe v. Wade. States with high abortion rates in the 1970s and 1980s experienced greater crime reductions in the 1990s. In high abortion states, only arrests of those born after abortion legalization fall relative to low abortion states. Legalized abortion appears to account for as much as 50 percent of the recent drop in crime. (Donohue & Levitt)…

The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime The authors John J. Donohue and Steven D. Levitt released their journal article “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime”, in May 2001. Both authors have the strong opinion that the legalization of abortion in the years between 1970 and 1973 is the main reason for the decline of the crime in the 1990s. Donohue and Levitt are able to support their findings with evidence from their research throughout their whole article. Moreover, this research was not…

Similarities? Differences? Everybody has them. American economists, Barbara Bergmann and Steven Levitt, are no different. Bergmann deals with racial and gender equality, while Steven Levitt bases his economic ideas on crime rates, abortion, and prostitution. Both economists are well-educated and strong leaders in what they do, though I disagree vehemently with some of Levitt’s ideas. Barbara Bergmann and Steven Levitt have very few similarities. Both are graduates of Harvard University and…

legalization of abortion after Roe v. Wade “led to less unwantedness; unwantedness leads to high crime; legalized abortion, therefore, led to less crime” (140). Instead of expanding upon this synopsis, Dubner and Levitt investigate whether abortion is responsible for lower crime rates or simply a coincidence. By doing so, they make their argument more credible because while a syllogism may be a fallacy, data is factual and harder to discredit. Dubner and Levitt circumvent readers’ moral protests…

1. What have been some explanations for the drop in crime during the 1990s and what type of support has been demonstrated for these explanations? Which explanation makes the most sense to you and why? Some explanations for the drop in crime during the 1990s are due to the increased reliance on prisons, the increase number of police officers, the legalization of abortion, and the aging population (Dubner & Levitt, 2005). Drug charges tend to carry higher prison sentences, the same can be said…

Steven Levitt and Stephan Dubner in their essay “Freakonomics: The Hidden Side of Everything.” (2005) Levitt and Dubner argue that economics is, at root, the study of incentives. They mention the many different types of crime and the rate that it is increasing and decreasing as time goes by. Levitt and Dubners essay points out how often a crime really is happening in different ways that most people would not even realize that it is taking place. I believe that crime is affecting our world…

Since abortion became legal in the United States in 1973 it has been one of the most controversial subjects in politics, and there is a good reason for this. For those who think life begins at conception they consider this operation barbaric and cruel, while those who want a woman to do what is best for her, believe that this surgery is a great way to get rid of unwanted pregnancies. However whether one is for or against abortion statistics show that it has been very helpful in the United…

that it is God’s will to lead the public to righteousness. The heated debate about abortion has been going on long before Roe vs Wade and will certainly continue long after. Woman across the country have stood up and spoken out for their right to make their own reproductive choice. Authors, scientist, and philosophers have all taken a stance to show the great impacts the world has seen since the legalization of abortion. I was drawn to Pro-Choice representation for their examination of the…

post-trial and appellate procedure for criminal cases. The court has the power of discretionary review, meaning it does not have to hear a case if it so chooses. The one exception to this discretionary power is in the area of capital punishment. [The Supreme Court] has statewide, final appellate jurisdiction in all civil and juvenile cases”. One of the impacts on governing have occurred, because Texas allowed cases to be separated based on consequence being sought. Most of the criminal cases…

considerably sized criminal record. The Nature of Scientific Inquiry The authors focus on investigating socio - economics issues which are challenging, but not impossible to quantify. In the modern age of information, a lot of data is available easily. In most cases, people try to fit data into preexisting claims that they may have in accordance with social norms. Levitt and Dubner look at data in unconventional methods which led to a lot of unexpected conclusions. Different ways of looking…