In the spring of 1982, James Q. Wilson co-authored the article "Broken Windows" in the Atlantic. Its central theory, that cracking down on small but visible crimes--graffiti drawing, street-corner drug dealing, window breaking--could prevent neighborhoods from fostering more serious ones, became a foundation for big-city policing and contributed to steep reductions in crime. Wilson, who died March 2 at 80, also did insightful work on the importance of character and private virtue, among people targeted by public policies, for making those policies succeed. A conservative and pragmatic social scientist, he once said, "I know my political ideas affect what I write,...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
