Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
Chambers College of Business and Economics
Department
Economics
Committee Chair
Jane Ruseski
Committee Member
Bryan McCannon
Committee Member
Daniel Grossman
Committee Member
Nathaniel Burke
Abstract
This dissertation comprises three independent yet thematically connected essays that explore the effects of public policy on crime and municipal finance. The first chapter examines the relationship between alcohol taxation and crime, assessing how changes in excise tax policies influence criminal activity. The second chapter investigates the fiscal implications of felon enfranchisement, analyzing how the restoration of voting rights to individuals with felony convictions affects municipal public finance. The third chapter evaluates the impact of cannabis legalization on crime, focusing on whether and how legalization alters crime patterns. Each chapter is structured as a stand-alone research paper. A general introduction and conclusion situate these studies within the broader literature on the economics of crime, drug policy, and democratic governance.
Recommended Citation
Bantis, Georgios Marios, "The Economics of Crime and Reform: Essays on Alcohol Taxation, Cannabis Legalization, and Felon Enfranchisement." (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12987.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12987