There are various theories as to why crime occurs. For as long as crime has existed, there have been repercussions for those actions. Due to the occurrence of the crime, questions arose. For example; why does crime occur or why do individuals commit crimes? The best theory to answer each question would be the classical theory of crime. The Classical Theory simply states that any individual who breaks the law does so with free will while understanding its effects. Classical theorists believed that “the quicker and more certain the punishment, the more effective it would be.” Classical theorists contributed to the influence and shaping of the United States criminal justice system. Many philosophers of the classical school based their arguments on this theory. One argument states that punishment would deter people from crime because punishment is much worse. Classical theory is best at explaining crime, because it can also define the characteristics of many other types of crime; the explanations are as follows. During the 18th century, discipline for crimes was much more severe. Many prisons were developed and used as a more uniform method of punishment. The rise of the United States legal system also took place during this period. Crime is socially constructed, which basically means that societies define what they believe should be prohibited and considered criminal. Jeremy Bentham said that people are hedonistic, or in other words driven by the pursuit of pleasure. Criminals often believe that the reward for the act will be greater than the possible repercussions. A current model of classical theory would be rational choice theory. The choice of ration uses free will as the main idea of ​​the theory. Also, with a much deeper definition than wr...... middle of paper ......some have one of many other motivations. For example, two teenagers might see an unlocked car with the keys left in the ignition as an opportunity to go on a "joy ride." Clarke and Harris proposed the belief that car thieves are particular in choosing which vehicles to target. The actions of theft and violence comply with the theory of rational choice. Although many criminal acts seem completely illogical, they seem to involve some calculation of risks and benefits. As time and technology advance, so do crime and its definitions. Works Cited “Routine Activity Theory.” Children.gov. Np, nd Web. “Rational Choice Theory.” Questoa.com. Np, nd Web. 8 December. 2013. .