Universal Cash and Crime
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| Authors | Brett Watson, Mouhcine Guettabi, Matthew N Reimer |
| Journal/Conference Name | Review of Economics and Statistics |
| Paper Category | Social Sciences |
| Paper Abstract | We estimate the effects of universal cash transfers on crime from Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend, an annual lump-sum payment to all Alaska residents. We find a 14% increase in substance-abuse incidents the day after the payment and a 10% increase over the following four weeks. This is partially offset by a 8% decrease in property crime, with no changes in violent crimes. On an annual basis, however, changes in criminal activity from the payment are small. Estimated costs comprise a very small portion of the total payment, suggesting that crime-related concerns of a universal cash transfer program may be unwarranted. |
| Date of publication | 2019 |
| Code Programming Language | R |
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