Publications

2011
Article

Free to Punish? The American Dream and the Harsh Treatment of Criminals

By: Rafael Di Tella

We describe the evolution of selective aspects of punishment in the U.S. over the period 1980-2004. We note that imprisonment increased around 1980, a period that coincides with the "Reagan revolution" in economic matters. We build an economic model where beliefs about... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption

1982
Book

The Crocodile Man: A Case of Brain Chemistry and Criminal Violence

By: Andre Mayer and Michael A. Wheeler

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Health

Video

Funke Opeke

Funke Opeke, founder and CEO of MainOne, examines the issue of corruption in Nigeria, arguing that it limits the country's ability to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital infrastructure. View Details

1 Sep 1979
Conference Presentation

Rape and Physical Attractiveness: Judgements Concerning the Likelihood of Victimization

By: W. DeJong, Teresa M. Amabile and M. L. Stubbs

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Attitudes; Safety; Personal Characteristics

08 Nov 2018
Working Paper Summaries

When Harry Fired Sally: The Double Standard in Punishing Misconduct

Keywords: by Mark Egan, Gregor Matvos, and Amit Seru; Financial Services

summer 1997
Article

The New Economics of Corruption: A Survey and Some New Results

By: Alberto Ades and Rafael Di Tella

Keywords: Economics; Crime and Corruption

2008
Working Paper

Securing Online Advertising: Rustlers and Sheriffs in the New Wild West

By: Benjamin Edelman

Read the news of recent computer security guffaws, and it's striking how many problems stem from online advertising. Advertising is the bedrock of web sites that are provided without charge to end users, so advertising is everywhere. But advertising security gaps... View Details

Keywords: Misleading and Fraudulent Advertising; Online Advertising; Crime and Corruption; Ethics

2009
Chapter

Securing Online Advertising: Rustlers and Sheriffs in the New Wild West

By: Benjamin Edelman

Read the news of recent computer security guffaws, and it's striking how many problems stem from online advertising. Advertising is the bedrock of web sites that are provided without charge to end users, so advertising is everywhere. But advertising security gaps... View Details

Keywords: Misleading and Fraudulent Advertising; Digital Marketing; Crime and Corruption; Ethics

2010
Book

The Big Ditch: How America Took, Built, Ran, and Ultimately Gave Away the Panama Canal

By: Noel Maurer and Carlos Yu

On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal was officially opened for business, thus changing the face of both world trade and military power and playing a pivotal role in the rise of the United States on the world stage. Today we view the creation of the Panama Canal as a... View Details

Keywords: Political History; For-Profit Firms; Development Economics; Infrastructure; State Ownership; Ship Transportation; Panama; United States

Purchase

Article

Why Doesn't Capitalism Flow to Poor Countries?

By: Rafael Di Tella and Robert MacCulloch

We show that capitalism is far from common around the world. Outside a small group of rich countries, heavy regulation of business, leftist rhetoric, and interventionist beliefs flourish. We relate these phenomena to the presence of corruption, with causality running... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Voting; Economic Systems; Fairness; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Emotions

28 May 2019
Research & Ideas

Investor Lawsuits Against Auditors Are Falling, and That's Bad News for Capital Markets

You need checks and balances. The trust we have in our system—we shouldn’t weaken it. That actually will end up hurting us. About the Author Martha Lagace is a writer based in the Boston area. [Image: guvendemir] Related Reading: What Are... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Financial Services; Accounting

27 Mar 2005
Research & Ideas

Should I Pay the Bribe?

At Harvard Business School, one of professor Rafael Di Tella's areas of study is how political corruption and common crime can be controlled in a variety of contexts. So it was... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia D. Churchwell

April 2009 (Revised June 2020)
Case

Al Capone

By: Tom Nicholas and David Chen

In 1929, Chicago, IL mob boss Al Capone was at the height of his power. As head of the extensive crime organization known as "The Outfit" during most of U.S.'s Prohibition Era (1920-1933), Capone oversaw hundreds of brothels, speakeasies, and roadhouses which served as... View Details

Keywords: Bootlegging; Entrepreneurship; Crime and Corruption; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Business History; United States; Chicago