Part I. A Political Theory of Criminal Violence: 1. The political foundations of peace and war in the gray zone of criminality; Part II. The Outbreak of Inter-cartel Wars: 2. Why cartels went to war: subnational party alternation, the breakdown of criminal protection, and the onset of inter-cartel wars; 3. Fighting turf wars: cartels, militias, and the struggle for drug trafficking corridors; Part III. The State's War Against the Cartels: 4. Why the state's war against the cartels intensified violence: political polarization, intergovernmental partisan conflict, and the escalation of violence; 5. Unpacking the war against the cartels: presidents, governors, and large-scale narco violence; Part IV. The Rise of Criminal Governance: Subverting Local Democracy in War: 6. Why cartels murder mayors and local party candidates: subnational political vulnerability and political opportunities to become local rulers; 7. Seizing local power: developing subnational criminal governance regimes.
When widespread state-criminal collusion persists in transitions from autocracy to democracy, electoral competition becomes a catalyst of large-scale criminal violence.
Guillermo Trejo is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and Director of the Violence and Transitional Justice Lab at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. He studies political and criminal violence, social movements, and human rights. He is the author of Popular Movements in Autocracies: Religion, Repression, and Indigenous Collective Action in Mexico (2012). Sandra Ley is Assistant Professor at CIDE's Political Studies Division in Mexico City. She studies criminal violence and political behavior.
'This brilliant book offers a novel and needed theory of criminal
violence that emphasizes the crucial role of politics. The authors
explain why transitions from authoritarianism to democracy often
lead to high levels of criminal violence, and identify the
conditions for the onset and escalation of criminal wars as well as
for the victimization of local authorities and politicians. The
empirical chapters, which combine statistical analyses and case
studies, offer compelling evidence of the effects of political
change on criminal violence. At the same time, the book is a
profound analysis of the devastating criminal wars that Mexico has
endured over the previous decades.' Ana Arjona, Northwestern
University
'Trejo and Ley have crafted a sophisticated theory that stands out
for its clarity, careful construction of arguments, vast data
collected, and variety of research methods employed. By focusing on
the role of violent specialists and on the gray zone of
criminality, Votes, Drugs, and Violence not only provides a
comprehensive narrative about the tragic escalation of violence in
Mexico since 2006, but also expands our understanding of how
criminals and states interact.' Angélica Durán-Martínez, University
of Massachusetts, Lowell
'Trejo and Ley's Votes, Drugs, and Violence provides critical new
insights into the phenomenon of criminal governance. The authors
offer a rich and compelling account of how interactions between
criminal groups and the state promote varied patterns of violence
in Mexico. The book is an essential addition to the literature on
criminal violence and conflict in Latin America.' Desmond Arias,
Baruch College, CUNY
'Highly recommended, and not just for specialists on Mexico and
criminal violence in Latin America.' Mauricio Rivera, Journal of
Peace Research
'… Trejo and Ley offer an important contribution. Anyone wanting to
understand the current Mexican crisis should read this book … The
book will also be useful for scholars interested in understanding
posttransitional violence in a variety of contexts, including
beyond Latin America.' Miguel Centellas, American Journal of
Sociology
'… this is a solid, thoroughly conceptualized study which, in
addition to its main arguments, provides many minor insights into
the problems of the political/criminal intersection. Among these is
the need to shift from a primary focus on either national or local
(municipal) politics to understand how states have become a main
battleground for the expansion or narco-control. […] The book is
sure to become a staple of graduate seminars and undergraduate
courses concerned with Mexican politics, drug trafficking, and the
relationship between formal politics and criminal violence.' Howard
Campbell, Journal of Strategic Security
'Important scholars in the emerging literature on the political
foundations of crime and violence, Trejo and Ley advance our
understanding of the links between organized crime and politics …'
Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, Perspectives on Politics
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