Eyes Beneath the Canopy: Coenforcing Environmental Crackdowns in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

How do state-society relations affect law enforcement crackdowns? I propose that sharp increases in state resources will be most effective wherever we find synergistic dynamics between officials and local groups. I argue that this pattern is the result of the two actors engaging in the co-production of law enforcement, where state agents provide technical expertise while communities o er their deep knowledge of the terrain. I test this theory by examining anti-deforestation policies in the Brazilian Amazon. Exploiting the blacklisting of municipalities between 2008 and 2019 I show that while the crackdown led to significant forest cover retention within indigenous lands, its effects outside of them were mixed. This pattern is the result of uneven shifts in the costs of crime: increases in enforcement are shaped by indigenous presence, which in turn affect future criminal behavior. Consequently, good environmental outcomes require a combination of formal policies and local support.

Keywords: Brazil, environmental enforcement, co-production, deforestation, indigenous