Does peacetime military service affect crime? New evidence from Denmark’s conscription lotteries

Abstract

While military service is thought to promote civic values, evidence on its benefits on criminal behavior is mixed. This paper uses the Danish draft lottery to estimate the causal effect of peacetime military service on post-service criminal convictions. The data includes the entire universe of eligible men born 1976–1983. I find that military service does not affect crime in general or any kind of crime in particular, nor does it reduce crime for juvenile offenders. However, I find a temporary disruption in the educational path at age 25, but no impact on the likelihood of being unemployed.