Organized Crime, Violence and Support for the State

64 Pages Posted: 17 May 2023 Last revised: 4 Aug 2023

See all articles by Gian Maria Campedelli

Gian Maria Campedelli

Università di Trento

Gianmarco Daniele

University of Milan - Faculty of Law; Bocconi University

Andrea FM Martinangeli

Université Paris 2 Panthéon Assas

Paolo Pinotti

Bocconi University - BAFFI Center on International Markets, Money, and Regulation

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 9, 2023

Abstract

The pervasive violence perpetrated by criminal organizations poses a substantial threat to numerous countries around the world. This study investigates the influence of organized crime violence on public perceptions of organized crime and support for the state.

To address this unexplored issue, we conducted an experimental study with a representative sample of 6,000 individuals in Italy, a country with a historical presence of organized crime. Participants' perceptions of crime trends diverged significantly from actual data, overestimating a 26.6% increase in overall homicides and a 17.3% rise in organized crime-related killings over two decades, while data showed a reduction of approximately two-thirds. Exposure to journalistic depictions of violence related to organized crime led to increased trust in state institutions and perception of state performance, irrespective of factual corrections. These findings underscore the potential impact of media narratives on shaping public attitudes toward crime and state authorities.

Keywords: Organized Crime; Italy; Mafias; Social Trust; Experiments

JEL Classification: D70, D72, H3, O52

Suggested Citation

Campedelli, Gian Maria and Daniele, Gianmarco and Martinangeli, Andrea and Pinotti, Paolo, Organized Crime, Violence and Support for the State (May 9, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4443292 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4443292

Gian Maria Campedelli

Università di Trento ( email )

Via Verdi 26
Trento, TN 38122
Italy

Gianmarco Daniele (Contact Author)

University of Milan - Faculty of Law ( email )

Via Festa del Perdono, 7
20122 Milano
Italy

Bocconi University ( email )

Via Sarfatti 25
Milan, MI 20136
Italy

Andrea Martinangeli

Université Paris 2 Panthéon Assas ( email )

Paris
France

Paolo Pinotti

Bocconi University - BAFFI Center on International Markets, Money, and Regulation ( email )

Milano, 20136
Italy

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