The episode begins by discussing the unexpected drop in crime in the 1990s and the various theories proposed to explain it, setting the stage for the controversial link between legalized abortion and crime reduction.
Crime rates began to rise in the 1960s and continued through the 1980s.
By 1990, violent crime rates were at alarming levels.
Theories such as better policing, capital punishment, and economic factors were proposed but lacked sufficient explanatory power.