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Lynching and Local Justice: Legitimacy and Accountability in Weak States

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Lynching and Local Justice: Legitimacy and Accountability in Weak States
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Danielle F. Jung
By (author) Dara Kay Cohen
SeriesElements in Political Economy
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:75
Dimensions(mm): Height 230,Width 150
Category/GenrePolitical economy
ISBN/Barcode 9781108794473
ClassificationsDewey:364.134
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises; 11 Line drawings, black and white; Worked examples or Exercises; 11 Line drawings, black and white

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 17 September 2020
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

What are the social and political consequences of poor state governance and low state legitimacy? Under what conditions does lynching - lethal, extralegal group violence to punish offenses to the community - become an acceptable practice? We argue lynching emerges when neither the state nor its challengers have a monopoly over legitimate authority. When authority is contested or ambiguous, mass punishment for transgressions can emerge that is public, brutal, and requires broad participation. Using new cross-national data, we demonstrate lynching is a persistent problem in dozens of countries over the last four decades. Drawing on original survey and interview data from Haiti and South Africa, we show how lynching emerges and becomes accepted. Specifically, support for lynching most likely occurs in one of three conditions: when states fail to provide governance, when non-state actors provide social services, or when neighbors must rely on self-help.