Held fire: America’s murder rate slips

<p>The absolute numbers remain troubling but a close look at statistics reveals that, across American cities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/08/09/murder-rates-are-falling-in-a-majority-of-american-cities?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fewer people</a>&nbsp;are being killed. That democracy is good for a country’s economy is taken as orthodoxy—but given the time and costs to make the transition, the reality is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/08/17/democracy-and-the-price-of-a-vote?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a bit more complicated</a>&nbsp;(09:38). And why Britain’s government is in hock to the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/08/09/from-wild-swimming-to-grouse-shooting-britain-is-in-hock-to-hobbyists?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hobbyists</a>&nbsp;(15:38).</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of&nbsp;<em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>