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Formal and informal deterrents of crime in Japan: Roles of police and social capital revisited

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  • Yamamura, Eiji

Abstract

Using Japanese prefecture-level panel data, this paper examines how the crime rate is affected by formal and informal deterrents as reflected by police and social capital, respectively. Both, however, suffer from the endogeneity problem and therefore the estimation results are biased when regression analysis is conducted. Hence, the fixed effects 2SLS method is employed to control for the endogeneity bias as well as for unobservable fixed effects. As well, the relationship between inequality and crime is examined. The main findings are: (1) police and social capital reduce the crime rate and their effects increase when the endogeneity bias is controlled for through fixed effects 2SLS estimation. (2) The effects of social capital, which is smaller than that of police, is however is reinforced by police through the complementary relationship existing between them.

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  • Yamamura, Eiji, 2009. "Formal and informal deterrents of crime in Japan: Roles of police and social capital revisited," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 611-621, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:38:y:2009:i:4:p:611-621
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    Cited by:

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    2. Burhan, Nik Ahmad Sufian & Kurniawan, Yohan & Sidek, Abdul Halim & Mohamad, Mohd Rosli, 2014. "Crimes and the Bell Curve: The Role of People with High, Average, and Low Intelligence," MPRA Paper 77314, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Eiji Yamamura, 2011. "Differences in the effect of social capital on health status between workers and non-workers," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 58(4), pages 385-400, December.
    4. Burhan, Nik Ahmad Sufian & Che Razak, Razli & Selamat, Muhamad Rosli & Rosli, Muhamad Ridhwan, 2017. "Intellectual Giftedness for Leadership: How Robust is the Crime Reducing Effect of Intellectual Class?," MPRA Paper 77467, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Qin, Ziyi & Fukuda, Daisuke, 2023. "Use of public transport and social capital building: An empirical study of Japan," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    6. Ernan Rustiadi & Ahmadriswan Nasution, 2017. "Can Social Capital Investment Reduce Poverty in Rural Indonesia?," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(2), pages 109-117.
    7. Holstein, Fredrik & Gren, Ing-Marie, 2013. "Violation of environmental regulations in Sweden: Economic motives, environmental attitudes, and social capital," Working Paper Series 2013:3, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department Economics.

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