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dc.titleCrime and Erosion of Trust: Evidence for Latin America
dc.contributor.authorCorbacho, Ana
dc.contributor.authorPhilipp, Julia
dc.contributor.authorRuiz-Vega, Mauricio
dc.contributor.orgunitInstitutions for Development Sector
dc.coverageSouth America
dc.coverageCentral America
dc.date.available2012-08-29T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2012-08-29T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractCrime has tangible economic costs. It also has less understood and likely sizable intangible costs. In particular, widespread crime has the potential to weaken trust between citizens and institutions, undermine government reform efforts, and become an obstacle to development. Yet, the impact of crime on trust remains relatively unexplored in the literature. This paper analyzes the potential interrelationship between individual victimization and several measures of trust, including trust in formal public institutions and trust in informal private networks. It is based on a representative sample of individuals in 19 countries in Latin America. The empirical strategy is intended to mitigate overt biases and assess sensitivity to hidden biases. The results show that victimization has a substantial negative effect on trust in the local police but no robust effect on informal institutions. Governments may henceforth need to redouble efforts to reduce victimization and the resulting erosion of trust in public institutions.
dc.format.extent38
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0011406
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Crime-and-Erosion-of-Trust-Evidence-for-Latin-America.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectCitizen Security and Crime Prevention
dc.subject.jelcodeD74 - Conflict • Conflict Resolution • Alliances • Revolutions
dc.subject.jelcodeD83 - Search • Learning • Information and Knowledge • Communication • Belief • Unawareness
dc.subject.jelcodeH41 - Public Goods
dc.subject.jelcodeI39 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Other
dc.subject.jelcodeK42 - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
dc.subject.jelcodeO54 - Latin America • Caribbean
dc.subject.keywordsCrime, Beliefs, Trust, Social Capital, Welfare
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
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