Download or read book Beyond plata o plomo written by Gustavo Duncan and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-10-06 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element introduces the concept of oligopoly of coercion to interpretate the interaction between drug trafficking and reconfiguration of the state in Colombia. Three elements are central to this interpretation: corruption in oligopolies of coercion must be understood as a payment by drug traffickers for acting like a parallel state; the state criminalizes more drug as merchandise than drug as capital – its equivalent in money; the politics and war around drug trafficking in Colombia should be understood as the way in which peripheral societies access global markets through the ruling institutions of private armies. With these elements, the author focuses on the dynamics of the reconfiguration of the state in Colombia after the cocaine boom in the mid-70s and the evolution of the private armies in Colombia.
Download or read book Beyond the Law s Reach written by Shmuel Nili and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024-09-12 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beyond the Law's Reach? argues that fundamental assumptions in contemporary political philosophy need to be rethought in the face of pervasive political violence. At an applied level, Nili develops this claim by delving into a series of specific controversies, all revolving around affluent democracies' policy responses to the threat of pervasive violence abroad. Examples include the ethics of giving refuge to beleaguered autocrats to avert civil war in their country, the ethics of prosecuting foreign officials who have colluded with drug cartels, and the admission of oligarchs who acquired their riches by distorting their country's rule of law. At a more theoretical level, the book shows that the moral principles needed to adjudicate these particular controversies can illuminate broader issues in normative political theory. These range from the philosophy of criminal punishment, through the relationship between the law's letter and its spirit, to the general plausibility of certain moral theories (and meta-theories) as public policy guides. Ranging from influential theories of justice to some of the hardest moral dilemmas facing communities and leaders struggling with the shadow of violence, this book explores the difficult circumstances in which we must aside not just the assumption of a stable liberal democracy, but even the dream of a clear path towards such democracy.
Download or read book Formative Modernities in the Early Modern Atlantic and Beyond written by Veronika Hyden-Hanscho and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-02-14 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a new perspective on the concept of modernity. Since its invention as a contrast to Antiquity or the Middle Ages, modernity has been tied to ideas of superiority, progress, and efficiency. As a counterpart to the Marxist “history of class struggle”, “modernization theories” have transformed modernity into an almost teleological concept of historical development. These strong connotations obstruct a clear look at other forms of modernity. The contributions of the volume will show in a comparative perspective how modernity can also be understood and analyzed as multiple responses of societies and polities to organize themselves in facing ever more complex and integrated interactions at ever larger scales.
Download or read book Repertoires of Terrorism written by Andreas E. Feldmann and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2024-06-25 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do armed groups employ terrorism in markedly different ways during civil wars? Drawing on more than a decade of fieldwork, Andreas E. Feldmann examines the disparate behavior of actors including guerrilla groups, state security forces, and paramilitaries during Colombia’s long and bloody civil war. Analyzing the varieties of violence in this conflict, he develops a new theory of the dynamics of terrorism in civil wars. Feldmann argues that armed groups’ distinct uses—repertoires—of terrorism arise from their particular organizational identities, the central and enduring attributes that distinguish one faction from other warring parties. He investigates a range of groups that took part in the Colombian conflict over the course of its evolution from ideological to criminal warfare, demonstrating that organizational identity plays a critical role in producing and rationalizing violence. Armed parties employ their unique repertoires as a means of communication to assert their relevance and territorial presence and to differentiate themselves from enemies and rivals. Repertoires of Terrorism is based on an extensive data set covering thousands of incidents, as well as interviews, archival research, and testimony. It sheds new light on both armed groups’ use of violence in Colombia’s civil war and the factors that shape terrorist activity in other conflicts.
Download or read book Criminal Politics and Botched Development in Contemporary Latin America written by Andreas E. Feldmann and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-08-10 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element investigates the relationship between the narcotics industry and politics and assesses how it influences domestic political dynamics, including economic development prospects in Latin America. It argues that links between criminal organizations, politicians, and state agents give rise to criminal politics (i.e., the interrelated activity of politicians, organized crime actors, and state agents in pursuing their respective agendas and goals). Criminal politics is upending how countries function politically and, consequently, impacting the prospects and nature of their social and economic development. The Element claims that diverse manifestations of criminal politics arise depending on how different phases of drug-trafficking activity (e.g., production, trafficking, and money laundering) interact with countries' distinct politico-institutional endowments. The argument is probed through the systematic examination of four cases that have received scant attention in the specialized literature: Chile,Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Download or read book The Politics of Social Protection During Times of Crisis written by Merike Blofield and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-06-30 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2020, as Latin American countries shuttered their economies, it became clear that effective lockdowns would require states to provide income support. In a region that has historically struggled to build systems of social protection, the effort to expand benefits was notable. Policies varied in scope and generosity, but in what seemed to signify a new era of state-building, Latin American democracies demonstrated a nearly uniform commitment to providing assistance to the poor. Why did some countries implement broader and more adequate programs than others and why did countries vary in their ability to sustain support over time? This Element argues that three factors explain cross-national and cross-temporal differences in policy effort: policy legacies, unified/divided government, and fiscal space. The study shows that in settings of crisis, the democratic politics of social policy expansion shift, with traditional factors like ideology and electoral competition playing a less central role.
Download or read book Innovating Democracy written by Thamy Pogrebinschi and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-31 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since democratization, Latin America has experienced a surge in new forms of citizen participation. Yet there is still little comparative knowledge on these so-called democratic innovations. This Element seeks to fill this gap. Drawing on a new dataset with 3,744 cases from 18 countries between 1990 and 2020, it presents the first large-N cross-country study of democratic innovations to date. It also introduces a typology of twenty kinds of democratic innovations, which are based on four means of participation, namely deliberation, citizen representation, digital engagement, and direct voting. Adopting a pragmatist, problem-driven approach, this Element claims that democratic innovations seek to enhance democracy by addressing public problems through combinations of those four means of participation in pursuit of one or more of five ends of innovations, namely accountability, responsiveness, rule of law, social equality, and political inclusion.
Download or read book The Indigenous Right to Self Determination in Extractivist Economies written by Marcela Torres-Wong and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-06-30 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International norms widely recognize the Indigenous right to self-determination by which Indigenous peoples define and purse their collective aspirations. Nevertheless, as progressive as legal frameworks might appear, in reality, few Indigenous communities enjoy this right and most remain vulnerable and disempowered. Activists blame Latin America's extractivist economies, while governments argue that extractive revenues are necessary to improve Indigenous life. Far from presenting a unified position, rural Indigenous peoples are most often divided over extractive industries. To assess how Indigenous self-determination has progressed, and the role that extractivism plays in this, this Element examines six Indigenous communities in Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru with contrasting experiences of extractive projects. It finds that the Indigenous ability to use favorable legislation in conjunction with available economic resources shapes different self-determination outcomes. Finally, it assesses Indigenous possibilities for self-determination in the light of environmental activism and discourses on Buen Vivir.
Download or read book Costly Opportunities written by María José Álvarez-Rivadulla and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2024-05-31 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element investigates entrenched inequality in Latin America through a unique case of class integration in Colombian higher education. Examining a forgivable loan program benefiting 40,000 high-achieving individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, the Element introduces 'gate opening' and 'diversified networks' as mechanisms countering traditional inequality reproduction. Utilizing a longitudinal, ethnographic approach, it explores the evolving process of social mobility within an elite school, emphasizing subjective experiences and challenges. Despite educational gaps and stark social differences, most students formed cross-class friendships, completed their education, and achieved higher socioeconomic positions. Yet, in so doing they had to face several costs of social mobility resourcing to strategies such as camouflaging or disclosing, sometimes becoming culturally omnivourous in the end. The significance of a prestigious degree varies based on the professional labor market, with first-generation students facing more challenges in low quality or elitist markets where cultural and social capital act as entry barriers.
Download or read book Conservatives against the Tide written by Gabriel Vommaro and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-07-06 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume in the Elements series addresses the success of conservative parties in non-authoritarian contexts in contemporary Latin America. It places the core case of Argentina's Republican Proposal (PRO) party in comparative perspective with Argentina's Recrear and with Colombia's Democratic Center (CD) party and the Bolivia's Social Democratic Movement (MDS) in an effort to understand their differing degrees of success in adverse circumstances. Based on long-term research using a variety of methods, this Element shows that success has been driven by three factors: programmatic innovation by personalistic leaders; organizational mobilization of both core and noncore constituencies; and elite fear of the 'Venezuela model.'
Download or read book Making Peace in Drug Wars written by Benjamin Lessing and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: State crackdowns on drug cartels often backfire, producing entrenched 'cartel-state conflict'; deterrence approaches have curbed violence but proven fragile. This book explains why.
Download or read book Dangerous Liaisons written by Kevin Casas-Zamora and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2013-09-19 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The relationship between criminal syndicates and politicians has a long history, including episodes even from the earliest years of America's colonies. But while organized crime may not get the headlines it once did in North America, the resurgence of such criminal activity in Latin America, and in some European nations, has grabbed the public's attention. In Dangerous Liaisons noted scholars describe and analyze the role of organized crime in the financing of politics in selected democracies in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico) and in Europe (Bulgaria and Italy). The book seeks to unravel the myths that have developed around crime in these locales, while providing facts and informing the debate on how organized crime corrupts democratic institutions, especially in relation to the funding of political parties and their activities. Among the subjects studied in detail are the role of organized crime in political finance through the lens of Argentina's presidential campaigns of 1999 and 2007; Brazil's elected officeholders and their role in corruption; the weakness of Colombia's democracy; the growing role of money in Costa Rica's politics; the destructive effects of drug money on Mexican institutions; the link between organized crime—narrowly and broadly understood—and political financing in Bulgaria; and crime and political finance in Italy. The work of the scholars corrects what volume editor Kevin Casas-Zamora calls "a glaring gap in the literature on the role of organized crime in the corruption of democratic institutions." That is, the funding of political parties and their activities—which in these cases are mostly election campaigns. The chapters not only present the evidence but also can be regarded as a call to action. Contributors include Leonardo Curzio (CISAN/UNAM), Donatella della Porta (European University Institute), Delia Ferreira Rubio (a member of the international boa
Download or read book The Life of Pablo Escobar written by J.D. Rockefeller and published by J.D. Rockefeller. This book was released on 2016-05-02 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Known in history as one of the ruthless Columbian drug lord, the life of Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria will remain forever as the ‘King of Cocaine’. He would be remembered throughout Colombia as the toughest criminal of all times. Instead of gaining his authority and power through politics as ‘President’, Pablo became one of the world’s notorious criminal, and ruled not the country but the Medellin cartel. His name rose to fame, and his notorious act that he carried out from 1970 to 1980 was well documented. Later in his criminal career as a drug dealer, Escobar collaborated with other tough criminals from the Medellin Cartel and subsequently controlled more than 80% of the cocaine that is shipped to the U.S. Discover more about his life, his biography and more about his criminal and political career as you read this book.
Download or read book Drug Wars and Covert Netherworlds written by James H. Creechan and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drug Wars and Covert Netherworlds describes the history of Mexican narco cartels and their regional and organizational trajectories and differences. Covering more than five decades, sociologist James H. Creechan unravels a web of government dependence, legitimate enterprises, and covert connections.
Download or read book Making Democracy Safe for Business written by Robert Kubinec and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-06-30 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With in-depth interviews and surveys, this book explains why the Middle East's democratic reform movements failed to stop crony capitalism.
Download or read book Classical Economics Today written by Marcella Corsi and published by Anthem Press. This book was released on 2018-01-22 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Classical Economics Today: Essays in Honor of Alessandro Roncaglia” comprises a collection of original essays by leading economists who adopt a Classical approach to political economy. The essays showcase the relevance and topicality of the Classical approach, as opposed to the sterility and real-world irrelevance of mainstream economics.
Download or read book Handbook on Corruption Ethics and Integrity in Public Administration written by Adam Graycar and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2020-07-31 with total page 509 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely Handbook unpacks the underlying common factors that give rise to corrupting environments. Investigating opportunities to deliver ethical public policy, it explores global trends in public administration and its vulnerability to corruption today, as well as proposing strategies for building integrity and diminishing corruption in public sectors around the globe.
