Endogenous Taxation in Ongoing Internal Conflict: The Case of Colombia

Recent empirical evidence suggests an ambiguous relationship between internal conflicts, state capacity, and tax performance. In theory, internal conflict should create strong incentives for governments to develop the fiscal capacity necessary to defeat rivals. We argue that one reason that this does not occur is because internal conflict enables groups with de facto power to capture local fiscal and property rights institutions. We test this mechanism in Colombia using data on tax performance and property rights institutions at the municipal level. Municipalities affected by internal conflict have tax institutions consistent with the preferences of the parties dominating local violence. Those suffering more right-wing violence feature more land formalization and higher property tax revenues. Municipalities with substantial left-wing guerrilla violence collect less tax revenue and witness less land formalization. Our findings provide systematic evidence that internal armed conflict helps interest groups capture municipal institutions for their own private benefit, impeding state-building. Copyright © American Political Science Association 2018

Mitigating conflict and violence in African cities

The process of urbanisation has historically been associated with both socioeconomic development and social strain. Although there is little evidence that urbanisation per se increases the likelihood of conflict or violence in a country, in recent decades Africa has experienced exceptional rates of urban population growth in a context of economic stagnation and poor governance, producing conditions conducive to social unrest and violence. In order to improve urban security in the years ahead, the underlying risk factors must be addressed, including urban poverty, inequality, and fragile political institutions. This, in turn, requires improving urban governance in the region by strengthening the capacity of local government institutions, addressing the complex political dynamics that impede eff ective urban planning and management, and cultivating integrated development strategies that involve cooperation between various tiers and spheres of government and civil society

The occupation of public space in Bogotá : internal displacement and the city

The number of people internally displaced by the conflict in Colombia is intensifying drastically. As a result, the question of the political agency of the displaced in public space is acquiring increasing importance. This article investigates three constructions of public space through the struggle of internally displaced people (IDPs) against invisibility and depoliticization. Having introduced the problem of displacement in Colombia, the article looks at one occupation of public space in 2009 in particular. Using the insights of critical geography and critical legal studies, it argues that the IDPs’ occupation was not simply a short-term demand for humanitarian support, but also an attempt to challenge the very constitution of the political itself. The dissensus that the IDPs manifested is contrasted with both the Colombian Constitutional Court’s mode of balancing rights, and the hegemonic political construction of public space as something to be protected from ‘interlopers’