More money, more crime: A theory on rising crime in Latin America
Zoom lecture:
21 may 2021 : 16:00-17:00 CET:
In this lecture and his new book, Professor Marcelo Bergman addresses the rapid rise of crime and violence in Latin America over the last decades, and offers an explanation to a striking paradox: In the midst of poverty reduction, economic growth, and democratization, crime rose in the eighteen countries of the region. Drawing from large data sets collected specifically for this project, he argues that crime has risen because it has become a profitable industry, and because weak states and outdated criminal justice systems have been unable to withstand the challenge posed by these new criminal enterprises. He explains why different equilibria have developed in the region, and discusses their undesired outcomes: serious predatory crime diversification, consolidation of organized crime, ineffective justice reforms, weak policing, and overcrowded prisons.
URL: https://www.cedla.nl/21521