1. Ch. 4: Where Have All the Criminals Gone?
By Elizabeth Reese & Linette Maliakal

2. Thesis
There were many explanations given at the time to give a reason for the drop in crime, but none of these articles and newspapers mentioned the true reason for the drop in criminal activities, which was the ban on abortion.

3. Invention
States opinions and beliefs of others about explanation for rise in criminal activity
Policing strategies
Reliance on prisons
Changes in drug markets
Aging of population
Tougher gun control laws
Strong economy
Increase in # of police
Other explanations (increased use of capital punishment, conceal weapon laws, etc.)

4. Invention (continued)
Anticipation of counter arguments
Strong economy
Crime rate rose as economy did better
Strong job market deters need commit criminal actions (burglary, robbery, auto theft)
Studies showed no link between economy and violent crime
Increase in # of Police & Police Strategies
Bill Bratton police commissioner had officers crack down on deeds that used to go unpoliced (jumping subways, urinating on streets)
All across the board, not just New York- often overlooked

5. Arrangement Narration of Anecdote (in beginning) Narration of Process
how author came to conclusion about true cause
Classification and Division
Discussing all other reasons people brought up and explaining them, but shooting them down

6. 1. Narration of Anecdote
1966- Nicolae Ceausescu, dictator of Russia, made abortion illegal
To strengthen Romania by boosting population
1989- Ceausecu overthrown by civilian protestors who were against the abortion ban & his “corrosive” regime
Sets stage for main topic of Romanian abortion story vs American crime story

7. 2. Narration of Process
Levitt provides many other claims for the drop in criminal activities
He supports these claims with adequate information that appears to be valid
Then goes in depth and finds flaws in the system

8. 3. Classification and Division
Classified previously mentioned ideas and explained the flaws
Divided these claims from true reason of abortion ban
“The very factors that drove millions of American women to have an abortion also seemed to predict that their children, had they been born, would have led unhappy and possibly criminal lives” (Levitt 127).
Childhood poverty & single-parent household = strongest predictors that child will have criminal future

9. Style Tone: controversial, matter-of-fact, colloquial Diction Syntax
“catch the bad guy” (113)
“lopping off some heads” (129)
Syntax
“All those criminals didn’t march into jail by themselves, of course” (113)
“What they did have, accordingly, was a lot more babies” (125)

10. Question #1
How does Levitt use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to defend his counterarguments he makes? What other tools do you notice he uses throughout the chapter?

11. Question #2
In what ways do you see the author make the connection between abortion and crime rates? What connection can you make between what seem like two completely different topics?

12. Question #3
Do you feel that the style of writing Levitt used in this chapter was effective for his argument that the case of Roe v Wade was the true cause for the drop in criminal activity? Defend your opinion. If not, state how you would have approached the matter and defended it.

13. Activity
With a partner and using your book, write counterarguments against 3 of the 5 explanations for the rise in criminal activity. State whether you agree with the author’s stance or not. Choose from the following:
Reliance on prisons
Changes in drug markets
Aging of population
Tougher gun control laws
Other explanations (increased use of capital punishment, conceal weapon laws, etc.)