Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: The reform of the public security institutions (especially the police, courts, and prisons) has become a major political issue in much of contemporary Latin America.In Brazil, some police analysts argue that police "politicization" distorts policing and ultimately threatens democracy.This article explores this claim.Drawing on qualitative interviews with officials involved in public security in Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil) it distinguishes between two variants of the politicization thesis.It concludes by arguing that if politicization is taken to mean excessive party control over the Executive branch, including the police, then it does not threaten democracy.On the contrary, innovative reforms are often driven by party political competition.
Source: Teoria e Pesquisa
DOI: 10.4322/tp.2014.002
Author: Anthony W. Pereira
Institution: King's College London
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4250184677