How Is Organized Crime Organized. Understanding the political economy, industrial organization, and recruitment into organized crime in Colombia
Abstract
Organized crime is the main driver of violence, corruption, and the weakening of democratic trust among U.S. allies in the Americas. Research has overlooked a critical threat- the development of powerful bottom up criminal organizations that control vast swaths of major cities and prison systems. These criminal networks start at the neighborhood level, with local gangs who typically extort shops and residents and sell drugs. Higher level criminal organizations have begun to organize and integrate these street gangs into larger criminal confederations and alliances that span cities, countries, and the region. These bottom-up criminal organizations corrupt local governments and undermine democratic confidence. When they go to war, they generate massive violence. People fleeing this instability are a major source of illegal migration into the U.S.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502510075
Entities
People
- Christopher Blattman
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Chicago