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There’s been more and more discussion of VIGILANTES in the US, and beyond. What are vigilantes? What does political science research tell us about them?
thread!
read this instead of the news!(?)
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thread! read this instead of the news!(?)
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The definition of vigilantism is debated, as @EduardoMoncad points out in this great article: https://doi.org/10.1080/17440572.2017.1374183
He argues that the root concept is the “collective use or threat of extra-legal violence in response to an alleged criminal act” 2/n
He argues that the root concept is the “collective use or threat of extra-legal violence in response to an alleged criminal act” 2/n
“Vigilantes” is also used for more ideological groups, such as pro-status-quo groups, pro-govt militias. My emphasis here is on crime control actors, but there are overlaps.
(A 1970 piece IDs 3 types: social central, regime cntrl, and crime cntrl. https://www.jstor.org/stable/421337?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents) 3/n
(A 1970 piece IDs 3 types: social central, regime cntrl, and crime cntrl. https://www.jstor.org/stable/421337?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents) 3/n
A lot of overlapping research topics deal with vigilantism. Some are:
-lynching (both historic in the US, and more modern)
-pro-government militias
-death squads
-community defense groups
As is often the case, not enough work brings these distinct lines together. 4/n
-lynching (both historic in the US, and more modern)
-pro-government militias
-death squads
-community defense groups
As is often the case, not enough work brings these distinct lines together. 4/n
To paraphrase the line about terrorism: one person’s community defense group is another person’s lynch mob. 5/n
Vigilantism is of course a political phenomenon. After a wave of vigilantism emerged in Mexico in 2013, I argued in @PVGlance that it was, in some cases, “local insurgency” https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2014/01/14/vigilantes-in-mexico-borderline-political-violence/
(Compare and contrast with US situation today...) 6/n
(Compare and contrast with US situation today...) 6/n
Wolff argues in @LAPSjournal that Mexican vigilante groups used tactics of insurgency, and calls it “insurgent vigilantism” https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1866802X20915477 7/n
What does the literature tell us about vigilantism’s causes and consequences? Much of the research is either on the developing world, or 19th century US, so it’s unclear how much can be applied directly to the US today.
Yet... 8/n
Yet... 8/n
The “classic” explanation of vigilantism is a weak state and perceptions of crime. This is argued to be behind, for example, vigilance committees and lynch mobs in the US South and West. See Lisa Arellano: http://tupress.temple.edu/book/0971 9/n
BUT it is noteworthy that a number of studies have found that vigilantism does NOT occur in areas with the highest crime rates. Other factors, or combinations of factors, are important. 10/n
There also of course economic explanations of vigilantism.
Godoy argues that vigilantism is a response to crime, but also economic changes stemming from globalization https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=10027 11/n
Godoy argues that vigilantism is a response to crime, but also economic changes stemming from globalization https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=10027 11/n
Fuentes Diaz and Paleta Pérez argues that economic changes in Mexico combined with organized crime dynamics explain the emergence of vigilantism http://200.41.82.22/handle/10469/7685 12/n
My own work on Mexico, in @cps_journal, finds economic *inequality* associated with organized vigilantism. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0010414016666863 Economic inequality => security inequality, related to private security, which then leads to vigilantes. Tested with data on Mexico 2013.
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This was building on older research that had made similar arguments about links between private security (for the rich) and vigilantism (for the non-rich) https://www.jstor.org/stable/29768462 14/n
Funding sources seem to matter for vigilantism, at least organized vigilantism. In a great paper, @sjleyg, Ibarra Olivo, and Meseguer find that migrant remittances are associated with subsequent vigilante formation https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1623309?casa_token=QjYFvwHJLnkAAAAA%3AwjUt7jC5-gm3ZbEy5OaMngAKsxp-4gpNh__6Av-DUge-rBIAOE_UfHUjzvaabqP-HukgBv58czLK 15/n
A lot of work looks beyond economic or crime-based arguments.
Obert and @eleomatt argue that vigilance committees were much more than a response to crime, but were to build social and political identities https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/keeping-vigil-the-emergence-of-vigilance-committees-in-precivil-war-america/EB0095210D3035D260CACFE5494B6BFF 16/n
Obert and @eleomatt argue that vigilance committees were much more than a response to crime, but were to build social and political identities https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/keeping-vigil-the-emergence-of-vigilance-committees-in-precivil-war-america/EB0095210D3035D260CACFE5494B6BFF 16/n
Social capital matters, and interactions with the government seem to matter. @clarisa98725770 & @voice_exit find migrant organizations associated with hometown associations. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1623345?casa_token=FjhPRiBYFbAAAAAA%3A1iw6qrm_aUKpi2rkYhkdDlPcmDkbDgk5yVrB9uEZXqno2H6NFzhNtqSMLzLrE5QWnCgZrECmtbSW 17/n
In a new book, @daniellefjung and Cohen argue that lynching or vigilantism happen when no actor has a monopoly over legitimate authority. https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/lynching-and-local-justice/EA1E70D633DFCDD744DFBA66A7723A0A 18/n
With experimental research, Zizumbo shows that people are more likely to support vigilantism when they don't trust the police, but trust their community. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-017-9388-6 19/n
There are also important arguments about roots in previous conflict, such as @regina_bateson analysis of the Guatemalan post-civil war https://search.proquest.com/openview/aeb4bf49873225b82a1caeb912cfaf25/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y and see https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022343317721812 20/n
There are cultural explanations, for example that vigilantism is a response by people who don’t feel represented by the justice system. This has been argued regarding indigenous people in Guatemala or Nigeria, for example. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3875991
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KTsrDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA71 21/n
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KTsrDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA71 21/n
Asif and Weenink argue that vigilantism is a ritual to restore unity among some in-group. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1477370819887518 22/n
What about CONSEQUENCES of vigilantism?
Some research, such as this great paper by @javier_osorio, @liviaisabella13, and @miweintraub83 suggests it can reduce crime. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/522fc0aee4b06bf96fa60e92/t/56ad0346e32140027606bc85/1454179147236/Vigilantes+-+FINAL+-+Not+Anon.pdf 23/n
Some research, such as this great paper by @javier_osorio, @liviaisabella13, and @miweintraub83 suggests it can reduce crime. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/522fc0aee4b06bf96fa60e92/t/56ad0346e32140027606bc85/1454179147236/Vigilantes+-+FINAL+-+Not+Anon.pdf 23/n
More work finds negative consequences of vigilantism, such as human rights violations. See Godoy: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20069623
Vigilante groups can become tools of the state, as the Bakassi Boys of Nigeria were. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4486721 24/n
Vigilante groups can become tools of the state, as the Bakassi Boys of Nigeria were. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4486721 24/n
There are broader effects! @cassyld and @jessicabraith find civilians living in proximity to armed vigilante groups are more fearful of participating in nonviolent action. https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogy017 25/n
Anyway, there's lots of relevant and interesting work on vigilantism! I'm sure I've missed stuff, let me know!
I hope research on vigilantism isn't increasingly needed for understanding US politics. Fingers crossed. 26/26
I hope research on vigilantism isn't increasingly needed for understanding US politics. Fingers crossed. 26/26
I should have mentioned this, also by @regina_bateson, on the concept of vigilantism. Check it out! https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0010414020957692?journalCode=cpsa#articleShareContainer 27/n
And there’s a vast literature on lynching, but one interesting recent piece related to some work above is @GemaKloppe on how lynchings in MX were not a response to state absence, but to state intrusion. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-latin-american-studies/article/lynching-and-the-politics-of-state-formation-in-postrevolutionary-puebla-1930s50s/E7BA0A324CDFDBA90CBCEE1EE8528D96# 28/n
