Why is crime falling everywhere?

Why is crime falling everywhere?

From The Argument by Jerusalem Demsas & Matthew Yglesias

May 28, 2026 · 54 min

About this episode

Matt Yglesias and Jerusalem Demsas debate the reasons behind the dramatic drop in crime rates and the factors that contributed to the pandemic-era highs.

America is on track for its lowest homicide year since 1900, but nobody seems to be celebrating. Matt Yglesias and Jerusalem Demsas debate why crime has dropped so dramatically and what caused the pandemic-era highs in the first place. Were the George Floyd and BLM protests to blame for the increase in crime? Were cops holding back because they felt disrespected? Or was it pandemic-era disruptions that caused the chaos? Together, they explore what it means for democratic accountability when o...

People in this episode

Hosts: Matt Yglesias, Jerusalem Demsas

Topics covered

  • crime
  • homicide
  • pandemic
  • protests
  • democratic accountability

Keywords

  • crime
  • homicide
  • pandemic
  • George Floyd
  • BLM protests
  • democratic accountability
  • law enforcement

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