Institutions and criminality: a developing country case study

• Grant number: 15/16539-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): January 04, 2016
• Effective date (End): November 03, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics - Regional and Urban Economics
• Principal Investigator: Luciano Nakabashi
• Grantee: Luciano Nakabashi
• Host Investigator: Werner Baer
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade de Ribeirão Preto (FEARP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States

Abstract

Understanding the relevant variables in a region crime level determination is crucial since they affect the level of social welfare due to the economic and social costs involved in illegal practices. The growth and economic development literature highlights the importance of political and economic institutions in this process, and one potential channel is the relationship between institutions and crime, since weaker institutions tend to raise the return of illegal activities as kidnapping, burglaries and thefts. These activities may even lead to death. Additionally, institutional quality affects variables considered relevant in crime rates determination as the level and distribution of income. From this, we propose to investigate the institutional quality importance on the Brazilian municipalities' crime levels. (AU)