Essays on the Economics of Crime, Corruption, and Institutions

Abstract

The integrity of criminal justice institutions is essential to a country’s rule of law and economic development. This dissertation investigates how government actions and rules affect the behavior of key actors within the criminal justice system. It consists of three self-contained chapters, each based on newly collected administrative data from Thailand.

The first two chapters focus on judges and their decisions. The first investigates how political pressure can affect court rulings and sentencing outcomes. The second explores why men and women sometimes receive different sentences for similar crimes. The third chapter shifts focus to the police force, examining how changes aimed at reducing corruption affect career advancement within the organization.

Together, these studies reveal how rules, politics, and organizational structure interact within the criminal justice system—insights that are vital for developing policies to promote accountability and strengthen institutional performance.