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Language
English (en)
Date of Award
5-1-2013
Author's Department
International and Area Studies
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
Restricted/Unrestricted
Restricted
Abstract
As of the past few years, the war on drugs has become an increasingly volatile security issue for Mexico. Drug-related deaths since ex-President Felipe Calder6én undertook a militarized anti-drug strategy now total over 50,000 in number. With a problem so extensive, one begins to wonder, how might this be affecting Mexican society as a whole? My specific objective here is to try to observe potential negative economic effects of drug violence by making use of a synthetic control state statistical method first seen in Abadie and Gardeazabal's 2003 article "The Economic Costs of Conflict: A Case Study of the Basque Country". The purpose of such a study is not to reduce the consequences of violence to economics, for no decrease in growth could outweigh the human costs of Mexico's situation. Rather, it is to see how violence can have ripple effects with consequences for the well being of society at large and also to frame the issue in a way that can resonate with policymakers. | ultimately find some evidence that drug-related violence may be negatively affecting growth in violent Mexican states, but the results are somewhat mixed. Thus, | examine whether violence might not be damaging Mexico's economy quite like we would expect in light of previous case studies on the economic costs of violence. In addition to my synthetic state study, | also undertake a comprehensive examination of the current situation that the Mexican government faces in order to see what is causing the increase in drug violence and what newly elected President Enrique Pefia Nieto can do to curtail the number of victims.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7936/ncer-z593
Mentor
Guillermo Rosas
Recommended Citation
Mariano, Nathan, "War on Drugs: A Study of the Economic Effects of Drug Violence and Problems Facing Mexico" (2013). Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses. 163.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.7936/ncer-z593
Comments
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