NEW - Defending the Status Quo? How Re-election Shapes Criminal Collusion in Mexico - https://t.co/C8MOZkl8yv "...highlights the unintended consequences of institutional reforms in high-crime areas..." - @AdeeWeller #OpenAccess

Check out the full article for more: https://t.co/BHJXTuIPL3 #OpenAcess #PoliticalViolence #Mexico #Democracy #CriminalGovernance #BJPolS

Rather than deepening democracy, re-election in these contexts helped embed illicit actors. That means fewer challengers, more state protection, and weaker citizen oversight. This highlights the need for institutional guardrails in high-crime areas to protect local democracy.

Using a staggered difference-in-differences design across Mexican municipalities and a new dataset on electoral violence, I find candidate killings by criminal groups jumped where incumbents could run again, and re-electable mayors in high-crime areas engaged in more corruption.

Re-election is supposed to let voters reward or punish their leaders, improving governance. But in places where crime groups dominate local politics, re-election can flip the logic: incumbents and criminals groups can collaborate to stay in power rather than respond to voters

Re-election means voters can hold elected officials accountable, but can it be effective where criminal groups shape local politics? In my new article in @BJPolS, I show that in high-crime areas of Mexico, re-election did not boost accountability, but increased collusion instead.

Looking to add a great panel to your #APSA2025 schedule? I organized "History, Power-Sharing, and State Capacity" and will be presenting my dissertation on colonial repression & crime alongside some *amazing* scholars. 📅 Thu, Sept 11 🕛 12:00–1:30pm PDT Come check it out!

An excellent essay by @GCorreaCabrera

I am thrilled to receive support for my dissertation from @APSAtweets and to join to ranks of this incredible cohort of scholars! Special thanks to my mentors at @EmoryPolisci and beyond.

We heard from researchers tackling tough questions: How do criminal groups influence voter accountability? How do states govern facing powerful criminal groups? What are their impacts on local governance, policing, and civilian lives?

Excited to have co-organized the #APSA2024 Mini-Conference on Democracy and Organized Crime! Featuring cutting-edge research on how criminal groups influence elections, governance, policing, and voter behavior. Thanks to all who presented and participated! #PoliticalScience

@jessiewtrudeau @AbbyCordova0411 @Fra_Calamunci @o_garcia_ponce @sarahzdaly @andresdu @Marco_Alcocer1 @JoseRamonEG @Meg_Frost_ @Gusvalo @Le_OscarAlvaro @LauraRBlume @Gtrejo29 @a___junqueira As well as the handle-less but just as amazing Martin Castillo Quintana, Manuel Moscoso Rojas, Julian Gerez, and Andrea Junqueira

@jessiewtrudeau @AbbyCordova0411 @Fra_Calamunci @o_garcia_ponce @sarahzdaly @andresdu @Marco_Alcocer1 And @JoseRamonEG, @neftalylyn, @Meg_Frost_, @gusvalo, @Le_OscarAlvaro, @LauraRBlume, @Gtrejo29, @a___junqueira

If you've ever wondered about how organized crime shapes politics, check out the works of some of these amazing scholars: @jessiewtrudeau, @abbycordova0411, @Fra_Calamunci, @o_garcia_ponce, @sarahzdaly, @andresdu, @Marco_Alcocer1,

Yesterday's Mini-Conference on Organized Crime at #MPSA was a blast! 🎉 Co-organizing with the wonderful @mramirezbust was an absolute highlight. Huge shout out to all the amazing scholars who presented their research & shared their insights on such an important topic.

And a huge shout-out to the other graduate students who presented their work -- check them out!! @MAranzazuRU, @andresdu, @Marco_Alcocer1, @David_Cerero, @Heesun_Yoo and @moshelito (3/3)

A massive thank you to the organizers, of this event, without whom this would not have been possible: @Nick_Barnes81 @tiscornia21 @farfan_cc @LauraRBlume and @clestancona (2/3)

*Phenomenal* past two days at the Illicit Economies and Extra-Legal Actors conference hosted by @USMEXUCSD & @UCIGCC. I have been absolutely amazed by the generosity, kindness, & support of each participant at the conference, from senior scholars to fellow graduate students (1/3)

But…I’m Arica

Notice a hint of hazy skies this morning? Northerly winds have transported low concentrations of wildfire smoke aloft from fires, mainly in Idaho. The model forecast below shows lingering light amounts over the Front Range today. #COwx