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.     

东亚区域合作动力中的区域意识探究

区域主义是20世纪特别是冷战后国际社会中兴起的一种重要现象,其作为全球政治范式理论的一个基本论断是,＂随着区域一体化和全球化的日益发展,世界政治经济的竞争将会超越主权国家的层面，     

地方政府对高等教育投入努力程度的实证研究

利用2000-2009年各省的面板数据对地方政府高等教育投入努力程度进行实证分析,结果表明地方政府间高校经费投入的努力程度存在显著差异,地方的财政分权以及政府竞争对地方政府高等教育努力程度具有负效应。在引入交互项之后,发现财政分权和政府竞争对东部地区的负效应最大,东部地区高等教育投入努力程度最低。在解决地区间高校经费投入不均衡问题时,要完善激励机制,提升发达地区地方政府高等教育投入的努力程度。同时,加大转移支付力度,平衡地区间高等教育经费投入的差异。