Hypothesis In this study I will examine the relationship between poverty and homicide. I predict that there will be a significant association between increasing poverty rates and increasing homicide rates. The null hypothesis states that there is no significant relationship between poverty and homicide. The alternative hypothesis states that there will be a significant relationship between poverty and homicide. The two theories I have found to explain the increase in poverty and homicide rates in urban communities are Merton's strain theory and Shaw and McKay's theory of social disorganization. Merton's strain theory states that social structures limit access to the goal of success through legitimate means (Lilly et al., 1995, p. 53). Shaw and McKay's theory of social disorganization states that the weakening of the family and community ties that bind people together affects the social control of a community (Lilly et al., 1995, p. 53). Research Design and Sample The research design used for this study is an exploratory, cross-sectional, and quantitative design. The exploratory design attempts to examine a correlation or connection that has not yet been clearly explained. The cross-sectional design will study research issues or questions at a specific point in time (Senese, 1997). During 2009, the independent variable (poverty) and the dependent variable (homicide) were studied. The quantitative design is an empirical investigation that measures the relationship between poverty and homicide. To obtain data for my research I used three different sources of analysis: the Federal Investigation Bureau's (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR), the Economic Research Service (ERS), and the United State Census Bureau. Secondary data analysis is the research… half of the paper… logical theory: context and consequences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication, Inc. Senese, J. D. (1997). Research methods applied to criminal justice. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, Inc. Walker, J. T., & Madden, S. (2005). Statistics in criminology and analysis and interpretation of criminal justice. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. US Census Bureau. (2010, September 16). Poverty. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/methods/definitions.htmlUnited States Department of Agriculture. (2010, September 10). Economic Research Service. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.ers.usda.gov/US Department of Justice. (2010, September). Crime in the United States 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/expand_information/homicide.html