The aim of this course is to connect students with the important contributions made by modern economists into understanding crime and delinquency and its consequences, and system responses by criminal justice agencies. Five important areas are reviewed including: (1) the major criminological schools of thought - for example the classical, positivist and the Chicago; (2) theories used by criminologists to explain crime and delinquency; (3) theories used by economists in researching crime and delinquency; (4) modern prevention models (5) specialised techniques used by economists in studying crime and delinquency; and (5) areas of substantive expertise where economists contribute to scholarship and crime and justice policy development.
The course begins by introducing the fundamentals of criminology followed by an introduction into the economics of crime and enforcement. The various theories, perspectives and methods outlined in the early part of the course provide the necessary foundation for investigating topics such as the prevention of juvenile crime, neighbourhood gangs, guns and crime, and drugs and crime.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon Successful completion of this course, students will be able to:- Explain how the various criminological schools of thought and the theories discussed in the course underpin modern crime prevention methods (e.g. developmental and situational crime prevention);
- Explain how specialised economic techniques used to study crime and the criminal justice system can be applied to improve policy decisions;
- Demonstrate how theory, case study, history and data developed by and for economists is useful in developing safer communities;
- Demonstrate how economic analysis has been useful in illuminating salient issues of interest to criminologists and government.
- Present and discuss the method and findings of a criminological study undertaken by an economist.
Indicative Assessment
Critical analysis of criminological schools of thought and their contribution to the development of modern crime prevention - 20% (2000 word essay) - LO1,3Mid-semester exam, scheduled in the mid-semester examination period (multiple choice and short answer - 1.5 hours) 30% - LO1-3.
End of semester exam, scheduled in the final examination period (multiple choice, short answer and short essay - 2 hours) 30% LO 1-4
Presentation and discussion - Conducted during tutorial sessions from weeks 5-12 subject to change based on course enrolments. 20% LO5
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures, and 12 hours of tutorials; and, b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Yezer, A. (2014). Economics of Crime and Enforcement. New York: M.E Sharpe.Hayes, H., Prenzler, P. (Eds.). Introduction to crime and criminology (3rd Ed). Sydney: Pearson Education.
Preliminary Reading
Becker, G. S. (1968). Crime and Punishment: An economic approach. The Journal of Political Economy, 76(2): 169-217.
Becker, G.S., Murphy, K., Grossman, M. (2006). The market for illegal goods: The case of drugs. Journal of Political Economy, 114(1): 38-60.
Cohen, M. (2000). Measuring the costs and benefits of crime and justice Measurement and analysis of crime and justice (pp. 263-316): National Institute of Justice.
Cook, P. J. (1986). The demand and supply of criminal opportunities. Crime and Justice, 7(1): 1-27.
Cook, P. J. (1980). Research in criminal deterrence: Laying the groundwork for the second decade. Crime and Justice, 2: 211-268.
Cook, P.J., Ludwig, J., Venkatesh, S., Braga, A. (2007). Underground gun markets. Economic Journal, 117 (534): 588-618.
Ehrlich, I. (1996). Crime, punishment, and the market for offences. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 10(1), 43-67.
Nagin, D., & Pogarsky, G. (2003). An experimental investigation of deterrence: Cheating, self-serving bias, and impulsivity. Criminology, 41(1), 167-194.
Reuter, P., & Kleiman, M. (1986). Risks and prices: An economic analysis of drug enforcement. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, 7, 289-340.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3216 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4590 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5010 | 19 Feb 2018 | 27 Feb 2018 | 31 Mar 2018 | 25 May 2018 | In Person | N/A |
