Votes, Drugs, and Violence: The Political Logic of Criminal Wars in Mexico

Why did Mexico experience a major outbreak of criminal violence as the country transitioned from authoritarian rule to democracy? Why did violence became more intense as the country experienced continuous party alternation, increasingly intense electoral competition, and greater political decentralization. My coauthored book, "Votes, Drugs, and Violence: The Political Logic of Criminal Wars in Mexico" seeks to explain why democracy became so intimately intertwined with the production of violence. We are requesting Kellogg funding for a Spanish-language translation of the book. We hope that the new conceptual definitions, theoretical explanations, and vast empirical testing the book offers will be of important use for students, policy-makers and members of organized civil society in Mexico. Having it in Spanish will contribute to this goal and will allow Spanish-speaking readers to learn more about the social science research we produce at Kellogg and at Notre Dame.