Examining the Relationship between Crime, Economic, and Government Policy And Crime and Recidivism Rates

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how to best reduce crime rates and recidivism rates at a state level. Specifically, the research will include crime policy, including sentencing and the death penalty, as well as economic policy, including education, unemployment, GDP, and median income, and finally government policy, including political party, all on a state level. In the first part, results on whether or not the state is likely to have the death penalty will be presented. In addition, the research will show which policies affect sentencing within the state. The thesis then identifies which policies affect crime rates and recidivism rates. Data from various sources will be utilized, including the Death Penalty Information Center, the Pew Research Center, World Atlas, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Kaiser Family Foundation, US Government Spending, the Wall Street Journal, Governing, the US Census Bureau, and the Gallup Polls. The findings show that states are less likely to have the death penalty as GDP, median income, and high school education increases and as states become democratic. States are going to have less people sentenced as GDP, median income, and high school education increases and if the state is democratic. The findings also show that as high school education within the state increases, crime rates decrease and as the number of people being sentenced increases, the recidivism rate within the state decreases.