The Impact of Social Capital on Crime: Evidence from the Netherlands

Akçomak, Semih and ter Weel, Bas (2008). The Impact of Social Capital on Crime: Evidence from the Netherlands. UNU-MERIT.

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UNU-MERIT Working Papers

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  • Sub-type Working paper
    Author Akçomak, Semih
    ter Weel, Bas
    Title The Impact of Social Capital on Crime: Evidence from the Netherlands
    Publication Date 2008
    Place of Publication Maastricht, NL
    Publisher UNU-MERIT
    Pages 91
    Abstract This paper investigates the relation between social capital and crime. The analysis contributes to explaining why crime is so heterogeneous across space. By employing current and historical data for Dutch municipalities and by providing novel indicators to measure social capital, we find a link between social capital and crime. Our results suggest that higher levels of social capital are associated with lower crime rates and that municipalities’ historical states in terms of population heterogeneity, religiosity and education affect current levels of social capital. Social capital indicators explain about 10 percent of the observed variance in crime. It is also shown why some social capital indicators are more useful than others in a robustness analysis.
    Keyword Social capital
    Crime
    The Netherlands
    JEL A13
    A14
    K42
    Z13
    Copyright Holder UNU-MERIT
    Copyright Year 2008
    Copyright type All rights reserved
    ISSN 18719872
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    Created: Wed, 11 Dec 2013, 16:16:00 JST