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Neutralizing the Tentacles of Organized Crime. Assessment of the Impact of an Anti-Crime Measure on Mafia Violence in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Laura Baraldi

    (Department of Economics, University of Campania)

  • Erasmo Pagani

    (Department of Law, University of Naples Federico II)

  • Marco Stimolo

    (Department of Economic and Social Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche)

Abstract

Organised crime tightens its corrupting influence on politics through violent intimidation. Anti-crime measures that increase the cost of corruption but not of the exercise of violence might accordingly lead mafia-style organizations to retaliate by resorting to violence in lieu of bribery. On the other hand, this kind of anti-crime measure might also induce criminal clans to go inactive, owing to the lower expected payoff from the “business” of influencing politics, which would reduce violence. To determine which of these possible effects is prevalent, we undertake an empirical assessment of the impact of city council dissolution for mafia influence in Italy as prescribed by Decree Law 164/1991 in discouraging violence against politicians in the period 2010-2019. Our difference-in-differences analysis shows that in the dissolved municipalities the enforcement of the Law reduces violence and that the effect persists (at least) for two electoral rounds. The most likely driving channel of this result is the renewed pool of politicians elected after compulsory administration. These findings are robust to a series of endogeneity tests.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Laura Baraldi & Erasmo Pagani & Marco Stimolo, 2023. "Neutralizing the Tentacles of Organized Crime. Assessment of the Impact of an Anti-Crime Measure on Mafia Violence in Italy," Working Papers 2023.10, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    • Handle: RePEc:fem:femwpa:2023.10
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Baraldi, Anna Laura & Cantabene, Claudia & De Iudicibus, Alessandro, 2023. "Fighting crime for improved recycling: evaluating an anti-mafia policy on source separation of waste," MPRA Paper 120296, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Anna Laura Baraldi & Giovanni Immordino & Erasmo Papagni & Marco Stimolo, 2023. "An Unintended Consequence of Gender Balance Laws: Mafia Fuels Political Violence," CSEF Working Papers 693, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Organized Crime; Violence; Anti-corruption measures; Spillovers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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