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Murder and the black market: Prohibition's impact on homicide rates in American cities

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  • Livingston, Brendan

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of state alcohol prohibition on homicide rates using city-level data from 1911 to 1929. During this time period, urban dwellers generally opposed prohibition and did not voluntarily adopt it. Subsequently, policy changes were more exogenous. The results suggest that there are dynamic aspects of prohibition. State-level prohibition decreased homicides immediately after enforcement began, but after three years of enforcement, the law ceased having a measurable effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Livingston, Brendan, 2016. "Murder and the black market: Prohibition's impact on homicide rates in American cities," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 33-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:irlaec:v:45:y:2016:i:c:p:33-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irle.2015.09.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kai Barron & Charles D. H. Parry & Debbie Bradshaw & Rob Dorrington & Pam Groenewald & Ria Laubscher & Richard Matzopoulos, 2024. "Alcohol, Violence, and Injury-Induced Mortality: Evidence from a Modern-Day Prohibition," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(4), pages 938-955, July.
    2. Francis-Tan, Andrew & Tan, Cheryl & Zhang, Ruhan, 2018. "School spirit: Exploring the long-term effects of the U.S. temperance movement on educational attainment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 162-169.
    3. Barron, Kai & Bradshaw, Debbie & Parry, Charles D. H. & Dorrington, Rob & Groenewald, Pam & Laubscher, Ria & Matzopoulos, Richard, 2021. "Alcohol and Short-Run Mortality: Evidence from a Modern-Day Prohibition," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 273, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    4. Howard Bodenhorn, 2016. "Blind Tigers and Red-Tape Cocktails: Liquor Control and Homicide in Late-Nineteenth-Century South Carolina," NBER Working Papers 22980, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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