(2005-04-17) Economist Levitt Profile

Profile of Economist Steven D Levitt. Then there is his coming "Understanding Why Crime Fell in the 1990's: Four Factors That Explain the Decline and Seven That Do Not." The entire drop in Crime Rate, Levitt says, was due to more Police officers, more prisoners, the waning crack epidemic and Roe Vs Wade (Abortion). One factor that probably didn't make a difference, he argues, was the innovative policing strategy trumpeted in New York by Rudy Giuliani and William Bratton. "I think," Levitt says, "I'm pretty much alone in saying that." (Broken Windows)

That profile is part of the site pitching his Freakonomics book.

Criticisms from Arnold Kling and James Q Wilson.

• more critique of his Abortion model

Update: Crooked Timber assembles a collection of writings about Levitt's work.