In a highly debated paper, Lott and Mustard (1997) found that allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns reduced crime. Since then, numerous researchers have questioned the validity of the findings. In addition, ongoing work has shown there is an important spatial component to crime. In this...

There is a long and detailed history of attempts to understand what causes crime. One of the most prominent strands of this literature has sought to better understand the relationship between economic conditions and crime. An economic argument is that in an attempt to maintain consumption in the...

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides assistance to low- and no-income people in the United States. Its aim is to increase individuals’ food-purchasing power and improve the nutritional content of their diet. We employed recent advances in...

Purpose While many studies find a positive relationship between economic freedom and entrepreneurship, very few of these studies account for possible spatial autocorrelation. Moreover, the development of an overall freedom measure has allowed researchers to test the relationship between overall...

The literature on the impact of welfare programs consistently shows that the incentives implied by these programs have effects on potential recipients. This paper supports that conclusion by showing that an increase in the generosity of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) increased...