ABSTRACT
Whatever the merits of these criticisms for other offenses (see, for example, Tedeschi and Felson 1994, in relation to violent crime) they carry little weight in respect of organized crime. This is rational crime par excellence: it is highly planned and organized, directed and committed by older, more determined offenders, usually with strong economic motivations. But although the impetus behind organized crime is an economic one, the principal contribution of the rational choice perspective is not so much to provide an answer to the question of "why" such criminal activities occur, but rather to address the question of "how" they are carried out. It is only by being in a position to answer questions about the process of crime commission that policy responses, particularly preventive ones, can be developed.
