Distribution Dynamics of Property Crime Rates in the United States

35 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2016

Date Written: April 21, 2016

Abstract

Using crime data for the 48 continental and conterminous US states and the distribution dynamics approach, this paper detects two distinct phases in the evolution of the property crime distribution: a period of strong convergence (1971-1980) is followed by a tendency towards divergence and bi-modality (1981-2010). Moreover, the analysis reveals that differences in income per capita and police can explain the emergence of a bi-modal shape in the distribution of property crime: in fact, after conditioning on these variables, the bi-modality completely disappears. This empirical evidence is consistent with the predictions of a two region model, that stresses the importance of income inequality in determining the dynamics of the property crime distribution.

Keywords: Crime Distribution, Property Crime, Convergence Analysis, Distribution Dynamics, NonParametric Statistics

JEL Classification: C14, C63, C72

Suggested Citation

Moro, Alessandro, Distribution Dynamics of Property Crime Rates in the United States (April 21, 2016). University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Dept. of Economics Research Paper Series No. 13, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2771670 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2771670

Alessandro Moro (Contact Author)

Bank of Italy ( email )

Via Nazionale 91
Rome, 00184
Italy

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