Crime, Insecurity and Erosion of Democratic Values in Latin America
Abstract In the Latin American context of extremely high crime, political scientists and policy makers alike need to ask whether crime, and the associated fear of crime, is helping to build popular support for repressive measures, and by extension, for repressive regimes. In short, is it possible that growing crime is a threat to the durability of democracy in Latin America? To test this proposition, this paper uses the 2008 Americas Barometer surveys. The premise of the paper is that rising crime and insecurity undermine democratic values and increase support for authoritarian measures. As crime rates increase and governments fail to stem the tide, citizen’s belief that democracy is the best system may decline. Some citizens may support the imple- mentation of greater controls or extra-judicial measures. High levels of crime may reduce levels of tolerance and interpersonal trust, thus undermining social capital. Finally, crime victimization and the fear of crime could drive citizens to lose faith in their political institutions, particularly the police and judicial authorities.
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Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) (2005), “¿Cuánto le cuesta la violencia a El Salvador?”, Cuadernos sobre desarrollo humano, núm. 4, San Salvador, Data from IDB or UNDP data, 1999-2003.
Quann, Nathalie and Kwing Hung (2002), “Victimization Experience and the Fear of Crime: A Cross-National Study”, Crime Victimization in Comparative Perspective: Results from the International Crime Victims Survey, 1989-2000, Paul Nieuwbeerta and Den Haag (eds.), Netherlands, Boom Juridische uitgevers.
Sanjuán, Ana María (2003), “Dinámicas de la violencia en Venezuela: tensiones y desafíos para la consolidación de la democracia”, Entre el crimen y el castigo: seguridad ciudadana y control democrático en América Latina y el Caribe, s/r, pp. 119-126.
Tulchin, Joseph S. and Meg Ruthenburg (2006), “Toward a Society Under Law”, in Tulchin, Joseph S. and Meg Ruthenburg (eds.), Toward a Society Under Law: Citizens and Their Police in Latin America, Washington DC, Woodrow Wilson International Center.
Brehm, John and Wendy Rahn (1997), “Individual-Level Evidence for the Causes and Consequences of Social Capital”, American Journal of Political Science, vol. 41, núm. 3, pp. 999-1023.
Corradi, Juan E. (1992), “Toward Societies without Fear”, in Corradi, Juan E.; Patricia Weiss Fagen; and Manuel Antonio Garretón (eds.), Fear at the Edge: State Terror and Resistance in Latin America, Berkeley, University of California Press, pp. 267-292.
Fajnzylber, Pablo; Daniel Lederman and Norman Loayza (1998), Determinants of Crime Rates in Latin America and the World: An Empirical Assessment, World Bank Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Viewpoints Washington, World Bank.
Gaviria, Alejandro and Carmen Pagés (1999), “Patterns of Crime Victimization in Latin America”, Inter-American Bank Conference on Economic and Social Progress in Latin America, Washington DC.
Geneva Declaration Secretariat (2008), Global Burden of Armed Violence Report, Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, Geneva, Switzerland.
Kuenzi, Michelle T. (2006), “Crime, Security, and Support for Democracy in Africa”, paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hotel, Chicago, IL, Apr 20-23.
Linz, Juan (1978), The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Crisis, Breakdown, & Reequilibration, Baltimore, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Newman, Graeme and William Alex Pridemore (2000), “Theory, Method, and Data in Comparative Criminology”, in Criminal Justice 2000, vol. 4 (July), Washington, DC., U.S., Department of Justice.
Pérez, Orlando J. (2003), “Democratic Legitimacy and Public Insecurity: Crime and Democracy in El Salvador and Guatemala”, Political Science Quarterly, vol. 118, núm. 4, pp. 627-644.
Prillaman, William C. (2003), “Crime, Democracy, and Development in Latin America”, Policy Papers on the Americas, vol. XIV, Study 6, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington DC.
Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) (2005), “¿Cuánto le cuesta la violencia a El Salvador?”, Cuadernos sobre desarrollo humano, núm. 4, San Salvador, Data from IDB or UNDP data, 1999-2003.
Quann, Nathalie and Kwing Hung (2002), “Victimization Experience and the Fear of Crime: A Cross-National Study”, Crime Victimization in Comparative Perspective: Results from the International Crime Victims Survey, 1989-2000, Paul Nieuwbeerta and Den Haag (eds.), Netherlands, Boom Juridische uitgevers.
Sanjuán, Ana María (2003), “Dinámicas de la violencia en Venezuela: tensiones y desafíos para la consolidación de la democracia”, Entre el crimen y el castigo: seguridad ciudadana y control democrático en América Latina y el Caribe, s/r, pp. 119-126.
Tulchin, Joseph S. and Meg Ruthenburg (2006), “Toward a Society Under Law”, in Tulchin, Joseph S. and Meg Ruthenburg (eds.), Toward a Society Under Law: Citizens and Their Police in Latin America, Washington DC, Woodrow Wilson International Center.
Pérez, O. J. (2011). Crime, Insecurity and Erosion of Democratic Values in Latin America. Revista Latinoamericana De Opinión Pública, 1, 61–86. https://doi.org/10.14201/rlop.22250
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