On September 15, 2021, Anja Benshaul-Tolonen, assistant professor of economics, co-authored a paper along with Sebastian Axbard and Jonas Poulsen in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, titled “Natural resource wealth and crime: The role of international price shocks and public policy.” The article examines the impact of natural resource wealth on criminal activity.
In their study, the researchers looked at the impact of mineral wealth in South Africa on local crime levels over 10 years. They discovered that low international mine prices can cause an increase in crime levels. Working off this data, the researchers then studied a government employment guarantee program to measure its effect on reducing crime levels during times of fluctuation in international prices