Ehrlich’s claim that each execution saves lives was heavily criticized

Evidence

Prior to the 1970s, research on the deterrent effect of the death penalty was conducted mainly by behavioral scientists and criminologists. More recently, empirical arguments regarding the death penalty have centered mainly on the econometric model of deterrent effects. In the inaugural application of this method, the economist Isaac Ehrlich (1975) studied murder rates as a function of the probability of being caught, convicted, and executed; income and employment; and expenditures in law enforcement. He concluded from his economic analysis that each execution spares several lives. However, his research came under heavy fire on conceptual and methodological grounds (Fox & Radelet, 1989). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1950 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Isaac Ehrlich’s econometric model claimed each execution spares several lives. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 1950

Broader Connections

• Isaac Ehrlich’s econometric model claimed each execution spares several lives. #expands (0.95) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1950