Presentation description

The issue of violence and citizen security has become one of the most salient issues in modern Latin American politics. A new wave of political entrepreneurs have used these concerns to their advantage, forming new electoral coalitions anchored around tough-on-crime policies. These new coalitions are often populist, unorthodox, and manage to successfully take away votes from well-established parties on both the right and left, which could suggest potential political realignment. The research conducted this summer seeks to understand how perceptions of violence impact voters' choices and the policies adopted by governments and lawmakers. This is done through a literature review along with analysis of recent survey data and national and subnational datasets of crime, violence, and inequality.