Does the political party in the government increase intentional homicide in Brazil?

• Author: Paulo R. A. Loureiro,Roberto Ellery,Tito B. S. Moreira,Antônio Nascimento
• Published date: 01 May 2018
• Date: 01 May 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/rode.12362

REGULAR ARTICLE

Does the political party in the government increase

intentional homicide in Brazil?

Paulo R. A. Loureiro

1

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Tito B. S. Moreira

2

|

Ant^

onio Nascimento Jr

1

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Roberto Ellery Jr

1

1

University of Brasilia (UnB),

Universit

ario Darcy Ribeiro, Brasilia,

CEP, 70910-900, Brazil

2

Universidade Cat

olica de Bras



ılia

(UCB), Brasilia, Brazil

Correspondence

Paulo R. A. Loureiro, Department of

Economics, University of Brasilia,

Universit

ario Darcy Ribeiro, Bras



ılia,

CEP 70910-900, Brazil.

Email: pauloloureiro@unb.br

Funding Information

Financial Support from the Brazilian

National Research Council (CNPq).

Abstract

This paper investigates the impacts of the Workers’Party

(WP) in government on the homicide rate in Brazil from

panel data for the Brazilian states between 1980 and

2011 using the system of generalized method of

moments. An important explanatory factor in the homi-

cide rate is the association between socioeconomic vari-

ables and left political parties in state governments. The

results provide empirical evidence that the WP’s control

of the government increased the homicide rate more than

the other political parties. This suggests that increasing

the number of years of WP occupation of the presidency

leads to a more pronounced increase in the homicide rate,

compared with other political parties. Although the

observed trend indicates increased rates of homicide,

more substantial growth was observed in almost all states

under WP rule during the period 2003 to 2011, contribut-

ing to a higher overall level of violence in Brazil.

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INTRODUCTION

Crime is one of the most serious problems facing modern societies. Economists and social scien-

tists from different fields seek to understand the causes and motivations of this phenomenon as

well as possible alternative public policies that can minimize their effects.

Malby (2010) presents available data on the crime of intentional homicide in all regions around

the world. The results suggest that the lowest homicide levels are generally associated with coun-

tries in Europe, whereas the highest homicide levels are found on the American and African

DOI: 10.1111/rode.12362

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©2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/rode Rev Dev Econ. 2018;22:706–726.

continents. The author shows that Americans present predominantly high and increasing rates of

homicide. This increase may be associated with the challenges of drug trafficking, gang activities,

and organized crime.

Homicide rates exceeded 30 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in many Brazilian cities in 2014

according to Sachsida, De Mendoncßa, and Moreira (2015). The authors note that the criminality in

Brazil is among the most violent in Latin America. Based on Waiselfisz (2014), the violent death rate

per 100,000 habitants increased from 32.1 in 1980 to 58.1 in 2012. In this context, there is a feeling

of impunity and trivialization of violence that leads to strong signs that crime pays in Brazil.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 1998, 14 percent of

Brazil’s wealth was controlled by 1 percent of the richest Brazilian citizens. This percent value

was larger than the wealth controlled by the poorer half of the population. Furthermore, the bottom

40 percent of the population earned 20 times less than the top 10 percent on average.

The incomes of individuals within regions and states are also poorly distributed. Brazil is com-

posed of the following regions: North, Northeast, South, Southeast, and Midwest. The poverty situ-

ation is the worst in the Northeast, where we find that 38.2 percent of workers earn less than half

of the minimum wage. In the same vein, 26 percent of workers in the North region fall within this

category. However, in the Midwest, South, and Southeast regions, the percentages earning less

than half of the minimum wage are 15.9, 13, and 10.8, respectively. The Southeast region is the

richest and is composed of the States of Rio de Janeiro, S~

ao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Esp

ırito

Santo. In 1996 to 1997, 40 percent of S~

ao Paulo’s population was living below the poverty line.

In Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, for instance, the percentages of the state population living

below the poverty line were 51 and 35, respectively. Therefore, we encounter large degrees of

poverty and inequality within each region and state in Brazil.

Much of the literature emphasizes socioeconomic factors as determinants of the evolution of

homicide rates, such as inequality and poverty, in addition to the classical aspects of law and eco-

nomics. Dos Santos and Kassouf (2008) aim to gather and discuss the literature on the economics

of criminality in Brazil. The authors conclude that the main controversy among researchers relates

to the effect of law enforcement on crime rates. Furthermore, they argue that retur ns on crime and

income inequality lead to increases in criminality.

One of the main controversies between political parties on the left and right in Brazil is the

causes of crime and, consequently, how criminals should be punished. The interpretation of law

and order establishes the relationship of norms that are dedicated to the conservation of social

order and an organized structured society. These divergent postures compose the ideological

essence of each political party. Political parties have the potential to change crime trends through

extensive political, economic, and social relations. There is a growing conviction that this cycle of

crime may be related to the position of the political party in charge of socioeconomic policies

(Miller, 1973). The lack of government action to combat crime also contributes to increased levels

of crime. Therefore, crime, in an election period, is of significant concern to both politicians and

voters. This theme is very relevant at the three levels of government: federal, state, and municipal.

The Brazilian institutional approach to public security is noteworthy. According to the Constitu-

tion of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the federal, state, and municipal governments have specific

functions regarding public safety in the Brazilian federation. The federal government is responsible

for combating illegal drug traffic, surveillance of borders and airports, and patrolling federal railways

and highways. Additionally, the states and municipalities can receive public resources from the fed-

eral government to improve public safety. In turn, the states are responsible for implementing exten-

sive policing to maintain public order, among other functions. Finally, the municipalities can use

municipal guards to protect private and public property, services, and facilities.

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