Political Science Research Paper

Pick one country and write about the following about it:

My research topic examines drug-related violence and its effects on the strengthening of democracy, particularly exploring how organized crime takes control of local governmental institutions. The main research question I aim to address is: What conditions lead to the entrenchment of municipal-level criminal governance systems, where gangs take over or supplant state functions and what impact does this have on voter behavior and democratic legitimacy? This subject is closely tied to Latin America by exploring the “hybrid” form of governance in regions dominated by cartel-local gang coalitions in Mexico (such as Guerrero and Jalisco) and in Colombia, where criminal organizations are progressively influencing electoral procedures and threatening local leaders, evident in the period leading up to recent regional elections. Through this analysis, I seek to comprehend why conventional military strategies in the “war on drugs” frequently do not strengthen democracy, but instead tend to undermine it by facilitating the criminal takeover of local security and justice systems.