Free Traders and Drug Smugglers: The Effects of Trade Openness on States' Ability to Combat Drug Trafficking.

The theoretical literature presents conflicting expectations about the effects of trade openness on the ability of states to interdict drug trafficking. One view expects that trade openness will undermine drug interdiction; a second argues the opposite; a third argues that trade openness does not ne...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Latin American Politics & Society Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 117 - 146
Autores principales: Bartilow, Horace A., Eom, Kihong
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Summer 2009
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:The theoretical literature presents conflicting expectations about the effects of trade openness on the ability of states to interdict drug trafficking. One view expects that trade openness will undermine drug interdiction; a second argues the opposite; a third argues that trade openness does not necessarily affect drug interdiction. This article assesses empirically the effects of trade openness on drug interdiction for countries in the Americas using a pooled time-series cross-sectional statistical model. It finds that trade openness decreases the interdiction capabilities of states in drug-consuming countries while increasing those of states in drug-producing countries. Greater openness to trade does not have a consistently significant effect on the interdiction capabilities of states in drug transit countries. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.