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The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime

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  • Donohue, John J.
  • Levitt, Steven D.

Abstract

We offer evidence that legalized abortion has contributed significantly to recent crime reductions. Crime began to fall roughly 18 years after abortion legalization. The 5 states that allowed abortion in 1970 experienced declines earlier than the rest of the nation, which legalized in 1973 with Roe v. Wade. States with high abortion rates in the 1970s and 1980s experienced greater crime reductions in the 1990s. In high abortion states, only arrests of those born after abortion legalization fall relative to low abortion states. Legalized abortion appears to account for as much as 50 percent of the recent drop in crime.

Suggested Citation

  • Donohue, John J. & Levitt, Steven D., 2000. "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime," Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics, Working Paper Series qt00p599hk, Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdl:oplwec:qt00p599hk
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Makowsky, 2006. "An Agent-Based Model of Mortality Shocks, Intergenerational Effects, and Urban Crime," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 9(2), pages 1-7.
    2. David Colander, 2004. "What We Teach and What We Do," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0426, Middlebury College, Department of Economics.
    3. Fernando Chavarro, Jazmín Balaguer Manfred Grautoff, 2010. "Torneo criminal, aversión al riesgo y seguridad ciudadana: comportamiento criminal en Bogotá D.C," Revista CIFE, Universidad Santo Tomás.
    4. Alejandro Gaviria & Carlos Medina & Leonardo Morales & Jairo Núñez, 2010. "The Cost of Avoiding Crime: The Case of Bogotá," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Crime: Lessons For and From Latin America, pages 101-132, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. repec:pri:cheawb:adriana_booms is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Alejandro Gaviria & Carlos Medina & Leonardo Morales & Jairo Nu�ez, 2008. "The Cost of Avoiding Crime: The Case of Bogot�," Borradores de Economia 4600, Banco de la Republica.
    7. Da Silva, Sergio, 2014. "Risk Seekers May Be Antisocial After All," MPRA Paper 60564, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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