Unemployment and crime: the role of apprehension

An increase in the unemployment rate decreases the opportunity cost of crime and increases the crime rate according to standard microeconomics models. However, a large body of empirical research has shown that an increase in unemployment may increase or decrease crime. By incorporating the return to crime into standard economic models, this paper shows that an increase in unemployment, as in recessions, decreases the opportunity cost of crime and the return to crime as well. As a result, the effect of unemployment on crime is ambiguous and depends on the apprehension rate. An increase in the unemployment rate tends to decrease the crime rate at lower apprehension rates, but to increase it at higher apprehension rates. An increase in the generosity of unemployment insurance benefits does not necessarily reduce the crime rate, and the effect of more generous unemployment insurance on crime depends again on the apprehension rate.     

论现阶段大学生道德教育

当前，大学生道德教育问题，不仅在全国高等学校，甚至整个社会都十分关注。随着社会经济的发展，以及受西方各种思潮的冲击，现阶段大学生的思想无可避免地受到一定程度的干扰。尤其是道德素质方面出现严重滑坡。道德教育在培养大学生全面发展的过程中具有十分重要的作用，因此，加强大学生的道德教育迫在眉睫。