Pitt Latin American Series

The Rise of Punitive Populism in Latin America

Michelle D. Bonner, Michelle Bonner

• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780822987123
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Latin American & Caribbean History
• Index: History

Crime and insecurity are top public policy concerns in Latin America. Political leaders offer tough-on-crime solutions that include increased policing and punishments, and decreased civilian oversight. These solutions, while apparently supported by public opinion, sit in opposition to both criminological research on crime control and human rights commitments. Moreover, many political and civil society actors disagree with such rhetoric and policies. In Tough on Crime, Bonner explores why some voices and some constructions of public opinion come to dominate public debate. Drawing on a comparative analysis of Argentina and Chile, based on over 190 in-depth interviews, and engaging the Euro-American literature on punitive populism, this book argues that a neoliberal media system and the resulting everyday practices used by journalists, state, and civil actors are central to explaining the dominance of tough-on-crime discourse.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Introduction. Media and the Rise of Punitive Populism
• 1. Interpreting Statistics on Crime, Insecurity, and Police Violence
• 2. The Mass Media’s Role in Emotions and Public Opinion
• 3. Comparing Media Systems: Argentina and Chile
• 4. Journalists’ Preference for Tough-on-Crime Sources
• 5. The Rise of Punitive Voices from Within the State
• 6. The Rise of Punitive Voices from Civil Society
• Conclusion
• Appendix
• Notes
• References
• Index