PovGov

By Beatriz Magaloni, Vanessa Melo & Gustavo Robles

"Warriors and Vigilantes as Police Officers: Evidence from a Field Experiment with Body Cameras in Rio de Janeiro", Cambridge Journal of Evidence-Based Policing

4 June 2020

By Beatriz Magaloni, Luis Rodríguez

"Institutionalized Police Brutality: Torture, the Militarization of Security and the Reform of Inquisitorial Justice in Mexico", (2020) American Political Science Review Vol 114, No.4.

We evaluate the effectiveness of the Mexican abandonment of the inquisitorial system of justice in reducing the incidence of torture of accused criminals. Results show that, despite rising levels of violence and cause for pessimism, the reform was able to reduce abuse across several measures. Our work was featured in the American Political Science Review's monthly blog in December 15, 2020:

"Conversations with Authors" https://www.Cambridge.org/core/blog/2020/12/15/conversations-with-authors-institutionalized-police-brutality/

By Beatriz Magaloni, Edgar Franco, Vanessa Melo

"Killing in the Slums: The Problems of Social Order, Criminal Governance and Police Violence in Rio de Janeiro" (2020) American Political Science Review May: 114(2):552-72

State interventions against organized criminal groups (OCGs) sometimes work to improve security, but often exacerbate violence. To understand why, this paper argues that the outcomes of police interventions are largely influenced by the pre-existing forms of governance OCGs establish in the territories they control.

Winner of the the 2021 Heinz I. Eulau Award for the best article published in American Political Science Review.

By Beatriz Magaloni, Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Alexander Ruíz

"Public Good Provision and Traditional Governance in Indigenous Communities in Oaxaca, Mexico", Comparative Political Studies

We investigate the role of traditional governance institutions for public goods provision in Oaxaca, Mexico. Results show that communities ruled by traditional governance practices offer more effective provision of local public goods than equally poor communities ruled by political parties.

By Gabriela Calderón, Gustavo Robles, Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Beatriz Magaloni

The Beheading of Criminal Organizations and the Dynamics of Violence in Mexico

This paper assesses the Mexican government’s strategy to weaken drug-trafficking organizations (DTOs). Results show that arresting/executing drug cartel leaders and lieutenants increases not only DTO-related violence, but also civilian homicides.

By Beatriz Magaloni, Gustavo Robles, Aila M. Matanock, Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Vidal Romero

Living in Fear: The Dynamics of Extortion in Mexico’s Drug War

Using list experiments, this paper measures the prevalence of extortion and assistance among drug trafficking organizations (DTOs). Results show that territorial contestation among rival organizations produces more extortion, while monopoly control over a territory leads DTOs to provide more assistance. The paper also explores how variation in criminal organization and patterns of DTO-state collusion largely influence DTO behavior toward the community.

By Beatriz Magaloni, Ana Laura Magaloni, Zaira Razú

Torture as a Method of Criminal Investigation: The Impact of the War on Drugs in Mexico

By Brenda Jarillo, Beatriz Magaloni, Edgar Franco, Gustavo Robles

How the Mexican Drug War Affects Kids and Schools: Evidence on Effects and Mechanisms

We investigate the effect of drug-related violence in Mexico on academic achievement. We estimate the impact on math test scores of both turf war exposure and turf war persistence during the academic year. According to our results, both the exposure to and persistence of criminal violence reduces math test scores.

By Beatriz Magaloni, Vanessa Melo, Gustavo Robles

WORKING PAPERS

Warriors and Vigilantes as Police Officers: Evidence from a Field Experiment with Body Cameras in Rio de Janeiro

This paper assesses the effects of body-worn cameras (BWC) on police behavior through a randomized control trial implemented in Rio de Janeiro. Results show that BWCs significantly reduced the use of lethal force and diminished the number of police written reports.

13 December 2022

By Alberto Diaz-Cayeros & Stephanie G. Stahlberg

The Latino Landscape in Oakland, California

This report was prepared for the City of Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) as a landscape analysis of the Latino community in Oakland. The study’s core objectives were to identify and summarize data that are available about the Latino community in Oakland, including demographics and crime and violence data, and identify risk and protective factors for this population. To that end, the authors identified and analyzed existing data and conducted primary research through semi-structured interviews with various individuals and organizations that are a part of or work closely with the Latino community in Oakland. Interviewees included school and school district officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), police and probation officers, community members, and a social worker, among others.

By Beatriz Magaloni, Veriene Melo

Engaging, Empowering, and Enabling Youth to Lead Social Action in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro: A Program Impact Evaluation

By Beatriz Magaloni, Vanessa Melo, Jailson de Souza Silva, Eliana Sousa Silva

Victimization by Police and Public Perceptions of Favela Residents

The goal of this study is to explore themes related to public security using a large-scale, door-to-door survey of roughly 6,300 residents from Cidade de Deus, Providência, Rocinha, Batan, and Maré. Our aim is to generate a more informed debate about the security situation in Rio de Janeiro that gives voice to residents of the city’s favelas. In this survey, we explore favela residents’ patterns of interaction with the police and armed criminal groups, their experiences with victimization, their perceptions of changes in the security climate, as well as their evaluations of the police and the public security situation in their communities.

7 February 2020

By Beatriz Magaloni y Alberto Díaz-Cayeros (This report was commissioned by World Bank)

Violent Crime as a Global Development Challenge: Causes and Menu of Interventions

By Thomas Abt, Chris Blattman, Beatriz Magaloni, Santiago Tobón

What Works to Prevent Violence Among Youth: A White Paper on Youth Violence, Crime Prevention, and the Mexican Context

This report was commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office (J-PAL LAC)

By Brenda Jarillo, Beatriz Magaloni, Zaira Razu, Sofía Mac Gregor

Reflexions: Cauce Ciudadano’s Work on High Schools in Ecatepec, Estado de México

By Beatriz Magaloni, Gustavo Robles, Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Brenda Jarillo

Evaluating the Education and Employment Attainment of Out-of-school Youth in Mexico: The Case of a Vocational Training Program in Zapopan, Jalisco

We conducted an impact evaluation of Youth with Hope (Jóvenes con Porvenir), the first large-scale vocational training program implemented in Mexico. Results indicate that participants increased their likelihood of finding a job; their reported monthly income; their number of hours worked per week; their access to professional networks; and their optimism about their future