Preventing or Fomenting Crime: A Contribution to the Lott – Donohue Debate

Abstract

This paper contains a discussion about the debate between John Donohue and John Lott regarding the relationship between right-to-carry (RTC) licensing and crime rates. It covers the most important publications of both scholars and reviews the assumptions which guided their work, as well as the findings and conclusions of each. The paper also examines the use and value of regression methodologies in developing each thesis and concludes with suggestions for a different perspective on the part of gun-violence scholarship.

Keywords: gun violence, right to carry, violent crime, crime rates

JEL Classification: K14, K42, N42, Z18