NARCOTICS USE AND CRIME: A MULTISAMPLE,MULTIMETHOD ANALYSIS*

Various addict behaviors that are relevant to the narcotics-crime relationship are examined throughout the course of the addiction career. Anglo and Chicano methadone patients are studied and several methodological approaches are utilized. The data are representative of numerous critical periods within the addiction career as well as periods immediately preceding and subsequent to it. The results from the various methodological analyses converge to indicate that while involvement in property crime activities generally precedes the addiction career, after addiction occurs the highly elevated property crime levels demonstrated by addicts appear to be regulated by similarly high narcotics use levels. During periods of curtailed narcotics use produced by treatment, property crime levels are significantly reduced and become extremely low after termination of the addiction career. The findings are compared with results previously reported and new results are presented. Theoretical consideration of circumstances that significantly moderate the narcotics-crime relationship, such as geographic and sociodemographic differences, drug trafficking, and other behaviors, are discussed.     

WAGE INEQUALITY AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY: AN EXTREME BOUNDS ANALYSIS FOR THE UNITED STATES, 1975–1990*

The past decades in the United States have been characterized by a widening in the distribution of wage income. While much research has attempted to uncover the causes of these earnings trends, much less is known about their impact upon social and economic factors. This study examines evidence for links between changes in distribution of wage income and criminal activity. Using extreme bounds analysis in conjunction with ordinary least squares regression, the study shows that robust results linking wage inequality and crime are obtainable across a rich set of model specifications for the violent crimes of murder and assault. No evidence is found linking wage inequality with the crimes of robbery and burglary. Results are inconclusive for larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and forcible rape. These results should be viewed as a first stage in examining the link between wage inequality and criminal activity. Research into the specific behavioral complexities underlying these relationships should be considered to affirm these results.     

BEYOND THE RULES: THE EFFECT OF OUTCOME FAVOURABILITY ON RED TAPE PERCEPTIONS

The underlying reasoning of much red tape research is that the level of rule burden, in terms of resources expended at implementing and complying with specific rules, is the main driver of red tape perceptions. In this study we challenge this claim and argue that stakeholder red tape perceptions are also affected by the favourability of the outcome. More specifically, if a certain rule or procedure has a positive outcome for a certain stakeholder, then this stakeholder will perceive lower levels of red tape, irrespective of rule burden. Using a survey experiment (n = 81), we show how variations in red tape perceptions are affected in equal measure by rule burden and outcome. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings for red tape scholars, in particular the need to further understand the relationships between red tape perceptions and rule procedures and outcomes.