Political Crimes, Political Violence, and Victimization in Caribbean Contexts: A Conceptual Framework of Political Modus Operandi and Fragile State Index

Growing concerns have prompted discussion about the links connecting politics, crime, and violence in Caribbean contexts. Recent theoretical advances have moved these discussions beyond concerns with corruption and explained the relevance of political modus operandi. This chapter provides further advances by showing how political modus operandi are linked to variations of state and nonstate monopoly over the use of force. It illustrates associated crossroads, thresholds, and turning points linked with the 2022 Fragile State Index (FSI) that assesses 11 categories of countries ranging from very sustainable to very high alert. In the process, a conceptual model is proposed and applied to the Caribbean nations of Haiti and Jamaica with hopes of inspiring future relevant research. Suggestions for future research are provided.