| dc.description.abstract |
The current crime crisis in Mexico and Central America has captured domestic and international headlines. The region is now infamous for some of the highest homicide rates in the world. In addition to high rates of violent crime, organized crime has also emerged as a powerful challenge to public security. As police and military forces confront suspected criminals and even armed drug cartels, many have feared that this escalating conflict might undermine the relatively recent transitions to democracy. Indeed, there is considerable theoretical and empirical evidence to lend credence to such concerns. New democracies frequently do not have sufficient time to develop their institutional capacities to fight crime, and can find themselves weak ineffective when trying to maintain order. Furthermore, recent studies have linked public fear of crime to support for undemocratic alternatives, such as extra-legal justice. This paper aims to assess the impact of crime on Mexican and Central American democracy empirically. Building upon the burgeoning literature on crime and democracy, this analysis examines the impact of crime on citizens’ attitudes toward democracy and their political participation. In doing so, this project aims to asses the impact of personal victimization and fear of crime on citizens’ political attitudes (support for the rule of law) and behavior (voting and community participation). |
