Gustavo Flores-Macías
@Gustavo_F_M
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Professor of Government and Professor of Public Policy, Cornell University. Views my own.
Ithaca, NY
Joined April 2014
My book, Contemporary State Building: Elite Taxation & Public Safety in Latin America, is out w/ @CUP_PoliSci!. A 🧵on how crises of criminal violence in #LatinAmerica presented opportunities to generate tax revenue & strengthen govt institutions. (1/n).
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Interested in #ContemporaryStateBuilding? . 👀Keep an eye out for this book. 👀. It draws lessons from recent examples of elite taxation in Latin America. (The cover is ready, the book will be this summer.) #TaxDay
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#Ecuador's state of emergency is part of a broader trend in Latin America: presidents leveraging public safety crises to expand executive powers, often through states of exception or the militarization of public safety, or both. A thread based on this article. 👇👇 1/
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The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America is out in paperback!. Don't miss insights from @fmonaldi @mhallerberg @JuanBogliaccini @anulolbapnauj Bergman, Fairfield, Mahon, Ondetti, Scartascini, Schneider . (with a 20% discount 🙂)
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I am delighted to share that The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America (@CUP_PoliSci 2019) has been published!.
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I appreciate @nayibbukele reading my @ForeignAffairs article.He should receive credit for the dramatic reduction in crime.But it's misguided to ignore the costs.Liberal democracy is not "a novel interpretation of democracy" but one that values civil liberties, checks & balances/1.
VERBATIM FROM THE ARTICLE:. “The result is a paradox of punitive populism, in which democratically elected leaders with broad anticrime mandates undermine liberal democracy by adopting iron-fist policies that are not only popular but can also be effective. Iron-fist policies are.
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Interested in state capacity, elite taxation, or public safety?. Wondering what these might have in common?. Join Ken Roberts and myself for a discussion of my book:. Contemporary State Building: Elite Taxation and Public Safety in Latin America. TUE APR 18, 4:30pm EDT (zoom)
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Delighted to share my new @cps_journal article with @jesszark on the consequences of militarized policing for #HumanRights, with evidence from Mexico 🪖🚨🇲🇽👇
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What is the relationship between violent crime & executive power? This new @PSQ_CSPC article argues that public safety crises have enabled executives to expand power at the expense of other branches of government, levels of government, and protections against government abuse.👇
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Why is it a bad idea to deploy troops in the US? Reasons abound, including normative, psychological, legal, etc. @jesszark & I have studied this in #LatinAmerica, where soldiers tend to be more violent / less respectful of civil liberties than #police. 1/n
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6) Mexico's strategy of bilateralism was a mistake. Because of asymmetry in the bilateral relation, Mexico needed multi-lateralism as leverage vis-a-vis the US. It is a pyrrhic victory for Mexico, as it dumps a partner in containing US protectionism.
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5) But surely Mexico got something in return, right? For example, what about the increase in NAFTA visas it wanted? Nope. We'll have to wait for more details, but all Mexico seems to have accomplished was to remain in a worse trade agreement with greater uncertainty.
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Interested in Contemporary State Building? . Don't miss this @APSAtweets author meets critics panel on my book today (Fri, noon PT) with Tasha Fairfield, Marcus Kurtz, Aaron Schneider, and Dan Slater @SlaterPolitics . Online format, so get in touch for link
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I am grateful to @InequalityCU for this opportunity to study elites' attitudes in #LatinAmerica!.
Congratulations to @Gustavo_F_M @cornellgov who was awarded a CSI faculty research grant for his proposal: Understanding Economic Elites’ Attitudes toward Democracy, Redistribution, and Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Latin America.
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Delighted to share my piece in @ForeignAffairs on the "paradox of punitive populism, in which democratically elected leaders with broad anticrime mandates undermine liberal democracy by adopting iron-fist policies that are not only popular but can also be effective.".
“Although Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on street gangs and criminal organizations has achieved spectacular public safety gains, it has incurred an equally sizable but less visible cost to El Salvador’s democracy.”
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Thank you @HarvardDRCLAS for the invitation! If you missed the event, the thoughts I shared on the state of Mexico's democracy are based on my research on violent crime and executive powers in Latin America 1/.
11/28 @ 12PM: AMLO versus the Institutions: How Has the López Obrador Presidency Affected Mexico’s Democracy?.
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Interested in the relationship between taxation and public safety? Check out @mstalanquer and my article in @pasupdates: we examine the effects of victimization and perceptions of public safety on willingness to shoulder a greater #tax burden to address insecurity in #Mexico.
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My oped in @nytimeses appeared today with my thoughts on how #LatinAmerica needs much bolder counter-cyclical policies to address the looming economic crisis and potentially avoid a political disaster. [1/n]
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This is a good account of what's going on with #Mexico's recent violent episodes. For insight on how #militarization hinders police reform in Latin America, see @jesszark and my forthcoming article on this and other consequences for the region.
THREAD: The massacre of an American-Mexican family is just latest sign that Mexico has failed to curb the country's drug gangs. Here was our analysis after the recent fiasco in Culiacán. via @WSJ.
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Very excited about presenting my research coauthored with @jesszark on Mexico’s #militarization. Many thanks to @ColumbiaPoliSci and @ILASColumbia for the invitation!.
📌🇲🇽 Join us to hear from our speaker Gustavo A. Flores-Macías (@Gustavo_F_M) who will present a project titled "The Consequences of Militarized Policing for Human Rights: Evidence from Mexico" on Nov. 18th at 12:30pm EST!. Watch here: w/ passcode iab707.
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10 And convincing Congress to pass the US-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (UMFA?) without Canada would be an uphill battle. END.
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Mi aporte al debate sobre #Militarización #Mexico: más violencia, menos recaudación. Construyendo sobre excelentes estudios de @PPmerino @ahope71 @Viri_Rios @laloguerrero @BigBigBLessing @osorio @BMagaloni @ioangrillo @EduardoMoncad @diazcayeros inter alia
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My @washingtonpost oped warning about the return of tutelary democracies in #LatinAmerica, where civilians run governments' day-to-day affairs but militaries have veto power and make important decisions.
After two decades of relative democratic stability, the recent upheaval in a few countries seems to herald a return of military control under tutelary democracy, @Gustavo_F_M writes
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7) The historic benefits that multilateralism has brought for Mexico in dealing with the US are not new, by the way, as any career diplomat in the Mexican foreign service will tell you. Somehow this insight eluded the foreign minister and trade negotiators.
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I appreciate @carfreytes' review in @LAPSjournal of The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America (@CambridgeUP 2019). 🙏🙏
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3) This is a victory for the Trump administration, at the expense of Mexico (and we'll see about Canada, which is supposed to resume talks on Tuesday). Remember Trump's initial demands were OUTLANDISH from Mexico's and Canada's perspectives.
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Many thanks to Cesar Zucco at @FGVBrazil for his review in @PoPpublicsphere of The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America (@CambridgeUP 2019). 🙏🙏
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Wondering about differences between non-militarized police, militarized police, and para-militarized police? This table in @jesszark's and my article in @PoPpublicsphere on the militarization of law enforcement might help!
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Don't miss this year's meeting of #REPAL (Red para el estudio de la economía política de América Latina) held virtually at @cornell @EinaudiCenter @CornellLASP on July 15-17.
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My thoughts on #ElSalvador's elections: “If Bukele wins by a large margin, as anticipated, it will be a clear message [. ] that desperation in the face of insecurity was such that the rule of law could take a back seat.”. W/ thanks to @jdquesada/@el_pais.
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Interested in the consequences of #militarization in Latin America? Check out @jesszark and my research on this topic:
After two decades of relative democratic stability, the recent upheaval in a few countries seems to herald a return of military control under tutelary democracy, @Gustavo_F_M writes
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8) So Trump will have an important political victory before the midterms, even if agreement is based on the original with some gains for the US. Mexico's negotiators will be content thinking it could have been much worse, but they left the proverbial money on the table.
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My 2 cents toward the debate on #Militarization in #Mexico: greater violence, lower tax revenue. Building on excellent work by @PPmerino @ahope71 @Viri_Rios @laloguerrero @BigBigBLessing @osorio @BMagaloni @ioangrillo @EduardoMoncad @diazcayeros inter alia
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Como dijera el gran cantante mexicano Juan Gabriel: ¿Pero qué necesidad?.
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Delighted to share the video of my book talk: Contemporary State Building: Elite Taxation & Public Safety in Latin America (@CUP_PoliSci 2022). With thanks to Ken Roberts for moderating and Cornell's Latin American & Caribbean Studies Program for hosting.
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9) We'll see what happens with Canada re-joining negotiations, but if Canada decides no deal is better a bad deal, it's not even clear that the US president can turn a tri-lateral NAFTA into a bilateral deal without Congress.
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4) Trump's 3 main demands, initially deemed unacceptable by Mexico and Canada, were greater NA content, sunset clause every 5 years, and removing NAFTA panels for trade disputes. He appears to have gotten away with significant versions of these demands.
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2) A "sunset clause light" would allow for review every 6 years, after an initial 10-year period. Also, existing dispute resolution mechanism would be diluted.
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Chile's experience with Pinochet's trial helps to understand why Mexico wants Cienfuegos back. When right-wing dictator General Pinochet was arrested in the UK, Chile's Socialist government did everything it could to bring him back to Chile. [1/n].
Why is Mexico so interested in getting hold of Cienfuegos? With the U.S. dropping drug trafficking charges, the general will be probed in Mexico, where impunity is pervasive and prosecutors have failed to build solid cases vs prominent drug lords and politicians in the past.
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Looking forward to Thursday's #ISA2021 panel on Policing, Militarization, and Repression in the Developing World with @jesszark @tiscornia21 @travisbcurtice @robert_a_blair @JuanBogliaccini @javier_osorio
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Delighted to share my @dailybeast oped on the election of self described "anarcho-capitalist" Javier Milei in Argentina
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Wondering whether banning Trump from the ballot could save US democracy? 🤔🧐. I share some lessons from #LatinAmerica in this @thehill oped: 👇👇. Lessons from Latin America: How barring Trump from the ballot could backfire.
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Will Security Reforms Make Ecuador Safer?. Delighted to share my Q&A with the @The_Dialogue's Latin America Advisor on #Ecuador's referendum and its implications for public safety.
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My department is hiring! 👇.
Come work with me! @cornellgov seeks a tenure-track assistant prof. with international, global, or transnational interests, esp. scholars who share our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the research and teaching of international relations:
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"As long as there is demand for #drugs in the United States, no military operation, even by highly trained U.S. forces, will prove effective in reducing drug trafficking." . My oped in @usatoday . @cornellcas @CornellBPP .
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The world needs many more scholars like Dr. Zarkin. What a privilege it has been to be part of her dissertation committee. Congratulations @jesszark for your excellent dissertation on the #militarization of police!!!! 👏👏👏 . @CornellCAS @cornellgov.
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In order to understand #LatinAmerica today, one has to understand the role that #China plays in the region. I'm excited to read @stephenbkaplan's @CUP_PoliSci book on the political economy of Chinese finance in the Americas. 👇👇👇
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@el_reportero @VicenteFoxQue @JoseAMeadeK @EPN Bizarre notion of successful policies: rampant corruption w/ several exgovernors at large, meager p/c growth, 20,000 homicides just this year, thousands more disappeared. #bizarroworld.
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Anxious about #Election2020 and the fate of America's democracy? I highlight lessons from #LatinAmerica in this @thehill oped
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ICYMI: @jesszark's and my article on "The Militarization of Law Enforcement: Evidence from Latin America" will be free to access at @PoPpublicsphere through Jan 2020: .
The twelve Perspectives articles with the Highest Altmetric Scores in 2019 are now free-to-access through January 2020! Thank you Cambridge University Press!. Happy downloading,.Perspectives
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@davidluhnow El país de si eres honesto te despido, pero si eres corrupto de premio te doy un consulado.
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Join us today 👇👇👇.
📍Join us on Tuesday Feb. 23 at 2pm EST for “Police Violence in Comparative Perspective” with @EduardoMoncad, @LuciaDammert, @Gustavo_F_M, Yanilda María González (@Kennedy_School), and Vesla Mae Weaver (@JohnsHopkins). More info & registration:
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Interested in the #militarization of #policing? Check out this study with @jesszark on how uniforms, weapons, gender, and skin color affect perceptions of law enforcement. 👇🚔👇🪖.
From our new issue -. Militarization and Perceptions of Law Enforcement in the Developing World: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment in Mexico - - @Gustavo_F_M & @jesszark
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Lleve, lleve! Su ejemplar de @foreignaffairsL Le dice, le cuenta, le explica sobre populismo, corrupción, sistemas de partidos y otros temas esenciales para #AmericaLatina en 2018! Lleeeeeeeeve!
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States of emergency do not address root problems, e.g., impunity. Addressing impunity requires more, not less, transparency & accountability. Without a major overhaul of existing security forces, giving the same forces that operated with impunity a blank check invites disaster./2.
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Beware of the return of the generals in Latin America. My oped in the @washingtonpost.
While the militarization of a country’s internal affairs can be highly popular in times of crisis, opening this door is bad news for democracy, @Gustavo_F_M writes
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Analysis I wrote for the @washingtonpost @monkeycageblog on the consequences of the #militarization of #PublicSafety in #Mexico. Based on my research, the proposed militarized national guard could lead to greater violence.
Mexico’s new president wants a new National Guard to address violent crime. Will it work?
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Thank you, @BJPolS for the free access! If interested in militarization of police, check this out 👇👇👇.
@jesszark @Gustavo_F_M @jesszark @Gustavo_F_M Hi, we have just made your #FirstView paper free access until the 21st of July 2021 -
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Today at 12:30pm EDT, don't miss the book launch of Votes, Drugs, and Violence by @Gtrejo29 & @sjleyg, moderated by @aperezli, with comments by @anamarjona and myself.
Join us for a bilingual book launch of "Votes, Drugs, and Violence" next Tue Sep 15th @KelloggInst. Register at: Le invitamos al lanzamiento bilingüe de "Votes, Drugs, and Violence" el 23 de sep @CIDE_MX. Registro en:
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A key goal of NAFTA, like all free trade agreements, is bringing certainty to the rules of the game in order to facilitate commercial exchanges. The new deal, called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, undermines that certainty in two ways.
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Congratulations @jesszark, awarded #Cornell's @RoperCenter 2018 Andrew Kohut Fellowship!! @cornellgov @CornellMedia.
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@carlosbravoreg A propósito de por qué el PRI siempre hay que considerarlo un contendiente fuerte y las consecuencias para la democracia en #México
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Don't let them tell you high #inflation is good for the poor. My oped in @FortuneMagazine oped explains why 👇👇 (1/n).
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Good article overview by @davidluhnow and @jmontesWSJ in the @WSJ of the growing role of the armed forces in Mexico. If interested in extent and consequences of #militarization in Latin America check out @jesszark's and my research in @PoPpublicsphere
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Since #taxes are on people's minds today, I'm re-upping this volume that focuses on the political obstacles that often get in the way of reforming tax systems, including the power of business groups. It focuses on #LatinAmerica, but it might be of interest for the US.
I am delighted to share that The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America (@CUP_PoliSci 2019) has been published!.
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Delighted to be back at Tec de Monterrey and grateful to @TecGlobalMx for their amazing hospitality. Vamos Borregos Salvajes!!.
Welcome to your alma mater @Gustavo_F_M !! We are so happy to have our alumnus @EXATEC and Associate Vice Provost for #InternationalAffairs at @Cornell 🇺🇸 meeting our professors and authorities.
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Comparto de nuevo mi opinión sobre la militarización, en vista de los eventos recientes en El Salvador.
Los líderes y gobiernos latinoamericanos deben resistir la tentación de buscar a los militares para resolver los problemas, opina Gustavo Flores Macías (@Gustavo_F_M).
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"If the U.S. government fails to halt the river of narcotics inside its own territory, how can it expect Mexico to succeed?"Excellent oped by @ioangrillo in today's @nytimes
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Free access until the 21st of July 2021 -. Militarization and Perceptions of Law Enforcement in the Developing World: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment in Mexico - - @Gustavo_F_M & @jesszark . #FirstView
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I appreciated the opportunity to share some thoughts for this @washingtonpost story about international parallels with Donald Trump's indictment.
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What an honor to be part of this lineup! Thank you @danbanik for the invitation discuss my book on Contemporary State Building on your fabulous podcast @GlobalDevPod!!.
🌐 Suggestions for the weekend 🎤. 🎧Listen to our fabulous guests 🎙️ in season 4 👇. Mo Ibrahim.Chris Blattman.Gunhild Stordalen.@gamblingondev.Address Malata.Adam Przeworski.@Ugentilini.Yasheng Huang.Gustavo Flores-Macías.Harald Eia.@jchitchen.Håvard Mokleiv Nygård. #globaldev
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@jesszark If interested in #policing #militarization #Violence in #LatinAmerica check out research by @EduardoMoncad @javier_osorio @BigBigBLessing @che_shani @o_garcia_ponce @Viri_Rios @PPmerino @vidalromero_ @BMagaloni @diazcayeros @miweintraub83 @reyrojo13 @tiscornia21 @Gtrejo29 @sjleyg.
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Thank you @Viri_Rios for presenting your interesting and relevant research on corruption and inequality! with @espejelomar at @Cornell @cornellgov @EinaudiCenter
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For public safety measures to succeed, they must not come at the expense of the democratic institutions that protect civilians from government abuse. Militarized states of emergency can give short term results but steadily investing in democratic policing wins the race. /4.
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Mi opinión al respecto
¿A quién hacemos responsable? - - > 6,000 complaints . then the quake: the scandal behind Mexico City's 225 dead
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Agradezco la invitación del @CesigItam para comentar la nueva edición en español del libro Democracia y militarismo en América Latina, de Julio Ríos Figueroa. Nos vemos el miércoles 12 de mayo a las 12h de la CDMX. Modera el gran @vidalromero_.
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I enjoyed chatting with @CarolGuerreroS about #Mexico's presidential election on @dw_espanol #Elecciones2018
Hay incertidumbre por lo que representaría un gobierno de @lopezobrador_, dice @Gustavo_F_M, #UniversidadCornell. "Es una gran incógnita". Sobre relación #México-#EEUU, dijo que es poco probable cambios importantes y que el tema #migratorio seguirá siendo una constante. [cs]
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Investing in civilian police and judiciary is less flashy but does not sacrifice the constitutional order on the altar of public safety. Democratic policing is possible, as several local experiences in Latin America with good results have shown. /3.
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Don't forget the deadline to apply to the @APSAtweets Comparative Politics Section graduate student support grants is July 12!.
If you're a graduate student attending @APSAtweets, the Comparative Politics Section support grant might be of interest. Apply here by July 12 👇👇.
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Join us today! 👇👇👇.
Interested in state capacity, elite taxation, or public safety?. Wondering what these might have in common?. Join Ken Roberts and myself for a discussion of my book:. Contemporary State Building: Elite Taxation and Public Safety in Latin America. TUE APR 18, 4:30pm EDT (zoom)
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Thank you @danbanik for the opportunity to chat on @GlobalDevPod about my new book, Contemporary State Building: Elite Taxation and Public Safety in Latin America!.
🚨🎙️ Contemporary state building in Latin America. 💰 In explaining the adoption of elite taxes for public safety, @cornellgov's @Gustavo_F_M argues that conventional crisis-centered explanations are insufficient. Listen to our @GlobalDevPod chat👇.
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Italy has called on its military to enforce its lockdown due to COVID19. If you're interested in the #militarization of law enforcement check out @jesszark's and my article on this increasingly widespread policy.
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Excited to discuss this book on taxation in Latin America @Cornell_Library !!.
Come to our Feb. 4 book talk, 4:30 p.m., in 107 Olin Library! What factors influence tax policies in Latin America? Join @gustavo_F_M as he presents insights from his newly edited book. @cornellgov @globalcornell @enaudicenter
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My favorite conference as well. If you study political economy of Latin America, apply to present your research at #REPAL2021.
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That Mexico would try to bring Cienfuegos back was not surprising. That the US would grant this wish certainly was. [end].
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Join us today at 4pm EDT for a discussion of the US Election's implications for #LatinAmerica. Registration and details 👉
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As the #DEA's arrest of Mexico's former defense minister suggests, growing corruption within the armed forces is another downside of the #militarization of public safety. [1/3].
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Interested in #inequality and #PublicPolicy? Interested in the role political factors in explaining #tax levels and #progressivity, including public opinion, democratic institutions, natural resources, interest groups, political ideology, and state capacity? This book is for you!.
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Encantado de participar y aprender de este panel 👇👇.
El #PEVCIDE te invita a participar en su último seminario del año: "El papel de las fuerzas armadas en la seguridad pública", en el que participarán @Gustavo_F_M, Santiago Aguirre, @DanielareaRea y Julio Ríos Figueroa. 🗓️ 11 de dic. ⏰ 11 hrs. 👉 Registro:
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Points of departure:.1) LatAm has highest violent crime in the world & collects less in taxes than expected for its level of development.2) taxing elites is very hard b/c elites can more easily circumvent tax obligations.So how can governments get elites to pay ⬆️ in taxes? (2/n).
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Re-upping my oped on the siren song of militarization in Latin America, following recent events in El Salvador.
While the militarization of a country’s internal affairs can be highly popular in times of crisis, opening this door is bad news for democracy, @Gustavo_F_M writes
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@KristinaHinz_ Hola Kristina, @jesszark y yo hemos realizado investigación sobre la militarización en México. Incluyo un par de ejemplos.
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Many thanks to @CarolGuerreroS for the invitation to share my thoughts on Mexico's anti-corruption efforts on @dw_espanol.
México espera que un extraditado limpie la corrupción. El presidente López Obrador apuesta por que el exdirector de PEMEX, Emilio Lozoya, ayude a destapar tramas de corrupción. Pero no todos creen que la impunidad deje de reinar, dice a DW Gustavo Flores-Macías. #DWNoticias /jam
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The Salvadoran scorched-earth approach, in which the murder rate dropped by 70% last year, the costs have been high. But Bukele's approach is increasingly influential because people are desperate. 8/.
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