CRIME, WAR, AND THE RATIONAL CHOICE — DETERRENCE PERSPECTIVE: A 21ST CENTURY CONVERGENCE

The focus of this paper is to examine deterrence as utilized in criminal justice policy, versus international policy, which employs deterrence via military force and other actions. In the case of the former, deterrence is framed through the sociological/criminological perspectives, whereas the latter views deterrence primarily through the economic or political lens. The sociological/criminological approach suggests that for deterrence to be effective, the costs of an action must exceed the benefits. Particularly from a military perspective, deterrence is usually viewed in terms of the costs dramatically exceeding the benefits. Prospect Theory is examined as one way to address the divergent research findings related to deterrence, but to also provide a model that is suitable for criminal and military deterrence. This paper concludes by briefly discussing how, in the post 9-11 world, the military is increasingly being called on to perform roles traditionally held by other entities (such as law enforcement). Similarly, the justice system is taking on tasks traditionally viewed as being related to national security. As the distinctions between various acts become increasingly blurred, these differences in perspective will no doubt have important consequences.