Brief synopses of these articles are grouped into 11 explanatory categories drawn from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the author. The recent decline in the crime rate was due to a combination of gradual long-term declining trends in property crime by individuals of all ages and violent crimes by older adults (over 30 years old), along with the steep short-term decline in violent juvenile and youth crime. The short-term decline, which followed a rapid short-term increase in violent juvenile and youth crime, was a much greater contributor than the long-term decline in the crime rate. The short-term increase and subsequent decline in crime were both almost entirely drug-related, with handguns playing an important role. The 11 factors identified in the article as contributing to the crime-rate decrease had been the effective strength of law enforcement agencies; the administrative and investigative emphases of law enforcement; policies of other components of the criminal justice system; citizens' attitudes toward crime; population density and degree of urbanization; variations in composition of the population, particularly youth concentration; economic conditions, including median income, poverty level, and job availability; cultural factors and education, recreational, and religious characteristics; family conditions with respect to divorce and family characteristics; drug use; and weapons. 6 tables, 6 figures, 6 tables, and 50 references