2 Economists Revive Old Argument for Death Penalty

Proponents of the death penalty say it provides justice for victims and "closure" for their families. But two Emory University economists have revived a dormant argument: It deters murder. In a recent paper based on 20 years of crime statistics (http://www.ssrn.com), Hashem Dezhbaksh and Paul H. Rubin correlate homicide rates with executions in every state since 1977, when the Supreme Court lifted a moratorium. Comprehensive data from more than 3,000 counties allow them to control for a host

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