Criminal groups govern millions worldwide. Even in strong states, gangs resolve disputes
and provide security. Why do these duopolies of coercion emerge? Often, gangs fill …

The goal of this paper is to examine the effect of inequality on crime rates in a unique
context, Mexico's drug war. The analysis exploits an original dataset containing inequality …

We study how representation works in a context where accountability to voters is restricted
because of term limits and accountability to parties is limited because of party weakness …

Why are some territories ravaged by intense levels of criminal violence while others are
relatively peaceful? This research contributes to an understanding of the escalation and …

We document that the spread of the Mafia in Sicily at the end of the 19th century was in part
caused by the rise of socialist Peasant Fasci organizations. In an environment with weak …

This paper estimates the effect of an unprecedented increase of drug-related violence in
Mexico on the educational outcomes and employment behavior of young adults. The panel …

How can societies restrain their coercive institutions and transition to a more humane
criminal justice system? We argue that two main factors explain why torture can persist as a …

This study examines the relationship between exposure to violent crime in utero and birth
weight using longitudinal data from a household survey conducted in Mexico. Controlling for …

This paper provides evidence that exposure to illegal labor markets during childhood leads
to the formation of industry‐specific human capital at an early age, putting children on a …

Organized intergroup violence is almost universally modeled as a calculated act motivated
by economic factors. In contrast, it is generally assumed that non-economic factors, such as …