ABSTRACT
Theorthodoxanalysisseemstometoofferneitheravalidframework withinwhichtounderstandtheproblemofcrimenorausefulguidetoward itssolution.Inthisessay,Ihavetriedtoarticulateanalternative radicaleconomicanalysisofcrimeintheUnitedStates.Theessayapplies someofthebasictoolsofradicaltheorytotrytoilluminatethecauses ofcrimeinthiscountryandtoexplainourfailurestocurbitsgrowth. Thepaperhasthreesections.ThefirstsectionprovidesabriefdescriptivesummaryofthenatureandextentofcrimeinAmerica.Thesecond sectionverybrieflysurveyssomeoftheconventionalpublicperspectives motivatingoureffortstocontrolcrimeandoutlinesrecentorthodoxeconomicanalysesoftheproblem.Thethirdsectionsuggestsaradicaleconomicanalysisofcrime,arguingthatwecannotrealisticallyexpectto "solve"theproblemofcrimeintheUnitedStateswithoutfirsteffecting afundamentalredistributionofpowerinoursociety.
