TY - JOUR T1 - Does Strengthening Self-Defense Law Deter Crime or Escalate Violence? JF - Journal of Human Resources JO - J Hum Resour SP - 821 LP - 854 DO - 10.3368/jhr.48.3.821 VL - 48 IS - 3 AU - Cheng Cheng AU - Mark Hoekstra Y1 - 2013/07/01 UR - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/48/3/821.abstract N2 - From 2000 to 2010, more than 20 states passed so-called “Castle Doctrine” or “stand your ground” laws. These laws expand the legal justification for the use of lethal force in self-defense, thereby lowering the expected cost of using lethal force and increasing the expected cost of committing violent crime. This paper exploits the within-state variation in self-defense law to examine their effect on homicides and violent crime. Results indicate the laws do not deter burglary, robbery, or aggravated assault. In contrast, they lead to a statistically significant 8 percent net increase in the number of reported murders and nonnegligent manslaughters. ER -