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<p>This article posits that the prevalence of violence in Latin America can be attributed to the failure to establish modern states, resulting in a reliance on outdated governance structures that are largely ineffective, referred to as “Paper Leviathans”. We contend that state capacity plays a crucial role in elucidating the varied levels of homicide rates across the region, with certain dimensions of state capacity proving more significant than others. To substantiate this thesis, we examine the relationship between four dimensions of state capacity—coercive, extractive, administrative, and legal—and homicide rates across 18 Latin American countries from 1997 to 2020. Our methodological approach employs panel data analysis and statistical estimation techniques, including Ordinary Least Squares, Random Effects, Fixed Effects, Double Fixed Effects, and Instrumental Variable estimations. The evidence demonstrates that administrative and legal capacities of the state reduce homicide rates, underscoring the importance of strengthening these aspects of state intervention to mitigate violence in Latin America.</p>

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Homicidal violence and state capacity in Latin America: the story of the Paper Leviathans

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月23日

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  • Juan Pablo Jaramillo-Ramón,
  • Carolina Curvale

摘要

This article posits that the prevalence of violence in Latin America can be attributed to the failure to establish modern states, resulting in a reliance on outdated governance structures that are largely ineffective, referred to as “Paper Leviathans”. We contend that state capacity plays a crucial role in elucidating the varied levels of homicide rates across the region, with certain dimensions of state capacity proving more significant than others. To substantiate this thesis, we examine the relationship between four dimensions of state capacity—coercive, extractive, administrative, and legal—and homicide rates across 18 Latin American countries from 1997 to 2020. Our methodological approach employs panel data analysis and statistical estimation techniques, including Ordinary Least Squares, Random Effects, Fixed Effects, Double Fixed Effects, and Instrumental Variable estimations. The evidence demonstrates that administrative and legal capacities of the state reduce homicide rates, underscoring the importance of strengthening these aspects of state intervention to mitigate violence in Latin America.