Legalized Abortion = Lower Crime Rates
 

I was watching The Daily Show, and they had the author of Freakonomics on. He was making the case that unwanted children are far more likely to become criminals. After abortion was legalized, fewer unwanted children were born. The national crime rate began to drop when these unwanted children would have begun to commit crimes.

I'm a little bit skeptical that this is the sole reason, but its a compelling argument.

I myself am sceptical of anyone touting one factor in a greater social trend... after-all countries that didn't legalize abortion also saw a downward trend in crime as well over the same period. However I'm sure that it could have/may have been a contributing factor to reducing the pressures that lead to social dysfunction and crime...

"Opinion Journal" - the WSJ's daily "best of the web" blog - has been running charts projecting political trends.

The leading states in numbers and percentages of abortions are all "blue" states, and if you logically assume that liberals/dems are most likely to resort to abortions, these states' population growth is reduced. There will be fewer living dems, and these blue states will lose electoral votes due to abortions in 2010 and 2020.

i'm all for abortion, but i think that's ridiculous to believe unwanted children are more likely to become criminals. Jeffrey Dahlmer came from a loving family. Kids become criminals to fulfill an empty void in their lives. I think this study gives too much credit to the parents...

"For every 100 babies born in New York City, women had 74 abortions in 2004, according to newly released figures that reaffirm the city as the abortion capital of the country," reports the Daily News:

The new Vital Statistics report released by the city Department of Health this month shows there were 124,100 live births, 11,700 spontaneous abortions and 91,700 induced abortions in the city in 2004.

That means 40 out of 100 pregnancies in the city ended in a planned abortion--almost double the national average of 24 of 100 pregnancies in 2002, estimated by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a Manhattan-based nonprofit group that researches reproductive health issues.

I just finished reading Freakonomics and it is very fascinating. To defend Mr. Levitt, he does not write that abortion is the sole factor, but one of a number of factors; all that he details. His book is not even really about this topic, it is more about how to answer questions by analyzing data and understanding incentives.

I suggest the book to anyone. I did not feel the authors were trying to support any point of view or cause, though they do note that some findings will be controversial. There are also two chapters devoted to parenting and they do indeed find that once a child is born parents do not have as much influence as many believe. The book covers both serious topics and light-hearted ones.

Has anyone else read the book? I'd love to hear other opinions.