Blattman Lessing Tobon Duncan 2022

Gang Rule: Understanding and Countering Criminal Governance

Main Argument:

Christopher Blattman, Gustavo Duncan, and Benjamin Lessing explore how the state governance and gang rule co-exist and possibly compliment each other, despite the differing tactics of eliciting power, through examples of gang presence in several countries, noting how gangs tend to drive out the state and serve civilians. Throughout this essay, they interview gang members, perform case studies in Medellín, Columbia, and analyze the emergence, growth, and establishment of gang rule while acknowledging the state's presence and impact on gang rule.

Introduction

• Millions of people across the globe live under criminal and state governance, experiencing the establishment of a new social order, community rules in neighborhoods, and other key governance activities while living under a "duoploy of coercion"
• Blattman, Duncan, and Lessing, however, explore how criminal and state governance can be complimenting each other, where criminal governance can demand governance from all state actors, while also reducing the dependence on the police institution by satisfying civilian needs
  • This would, in turn, make it more difficult for police to arrest gang members and the demise of gang rule could end up backfiring on state governance

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