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Democracy and Crime: A Multilevel Analysis of Homicide Trends in Forty-Four Countries, 1950-2000

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  • Gary Lafree

    (National Center for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Democracy Collaborative)

  • Andromachi Tseloni

Abstract

Despite simultaneous increases in democratization and violent crime rates in many countries during the second half of the twentieth century, the authors could find no prior studies that have directly examined possible connections between these two processes. The civilization perspective predicts that violent crime rates will decline along with the civilizing effects of democratization, the conflict perspective predicts that violent crime rates will increase along with the brutalizing effects of the market economies that so far have universally accompanied democratization, and the modernization perspective predicts that violent crime rates will initially increase with the transition to democracy but then decline as democracies mature. Our analysis of data from forty-four countries from 1950 to 2000 shows the most support for a modernization perspective: violent crime rates are highest for transitional democracies. However, as predicted by the conflict perspective, we also find that during the second half of the twentieth century homicide rates gradually increased for full democracies.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary Lafree & Andromachi Tseloni, 2006. "Democracy and Crime: A Multilevel Analysis of Homicide Trends in Forty-Four Countries, 1950-2000," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 605(1), pages 25-49, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:605:y:2006:i:1:p:25-49
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716206287169
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Montinola, Gabriella R. & Jackman, Robert W., 2002. "Sources of Corruption: A Cross-Country Study," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(1), pages 147-170, January.
    2. Gurr, Ted Robert, 1974. "Persistence and Change in Political Systems, 1800–1971," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 68(4), pages 1482-1504, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jana Morgan & Nathan J. Kelly, 2010. "Explaining Public Attitudes toward Fighting Inequality in Latin America," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(3), pages 79-111, August.
    2. Susanne Karstedt, 2006. "Democracy, Values, and Violence: Paradoxes, Tensions, and Comparative Advantages of Liberal Inclusion," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 605(1), pages 50-81, May.
    3. Gonzalo Croci & Spencer Chainey, 2023. "An Institutional Perspective to Understand Latin America’s High Levels of Homicide," The British Journal of Criminology, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, vol. 63(5), pages 1199-1218.

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