"Focus on ensuring respect for private property rights, an effective police force, prosecutors willing to enforce the rule of law, and fair courts."
Stephen Moore: Unleash Prosperity Hotline –Trump is threatening to send National Guard troops into high-crime cities like Chicago.
The policy has been highly controversial. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker insist they don't want the troops walking the streets and arresting criminals.
If the Mayor and Governor want to make Chicago great again, they might want to embrace the tough-on-crime strategy.
A study by Sanjai Bhagat, a professor of finance at the University of Colorado, finds that cities with high crime rates have subsequent higher rates of poverty and lower rates of employment. The relationships are statistically significant.
These findings really aren't surprising - unless you're a progressive mayor of a big city, like Johnson. Crime repels employers and higher-income families.
Professor Bhagat's recommendations to mayors and city councils make a lot of sense to us:
"Focus on ensuring respect for private property rights, an effective police force, prosecutors willing to enforce the rule of law, and fair courts; this will enhance economic prosperity of your citizens and diminish poverty in your cities and state."
