Criminal Electioneering: How and Why Criminal Groups Influence Elections

Criminal electioneering—deliberate efforts by criminal organizations to influence elections— is both widespread and highly consequential for democracy. Yet our understanding of its causes and consequences remains a work in progress. Based on my dissertation research, this book project addresses two key questions: Why do criminal groups electioneer at some times and in some places but not others? And when they do enter the electoral arena, what explains the tactics criminal groups employ? Drawing on evidence from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, I argue that criminal electioneering outcomes are driven by two key variables: competition between criminal groups and politicians’ access to party resources. As a Postdoctoral Fellow, I will develop my dissertation into a book manuscript and write two related journal articles. While this project will be my main focus, I will also complete an ongoing book project, coedited with Steven Levitsky, on democracy and authoritarianism in Central America and prepare an accompanying journal article.