{"product_id":"dark-governance-javier-auyero-9780226855271","title":"Dark Governance: Illegal Organizations and State Power","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA revelatory account of the ways covert, nefarious relationships between state officials and criminal groups shape daily life for all\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFar too often, the line between legal and illegal action is crossed by actors and organizations on both sides of the law. From the old Chicago Machine getting rich off criminal activity to Mexican drug cartels placing politicians in office, these relationships between criminals and the government coordinate forms of power in ways that affect where people live, what opportunities they can pursue, how they spend money, and how they treat one another. In \u003ci\u003eDark Governance\u003c\/i\u003e, sociologist Javier Auyero describes how this kind of governance works and what it means for civic life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuyero analyzes instances of dark governance, including gangs in Ecuador and paramilitaries in Colombia who exert territorial control through violent specialists and government actors. He then turns to the less-studied case of the \"colectivos\" in Venezuela to show the scope of political work clandestine connections can achieve by thwarting grassroots organizations. In El Salvador and Honduras, the ties between gang members on the one hand, and politicians and elected officials on the other, serve to illustrate the impact dark governance has on urban spatial arrangements and on electoral campaigns. \u003ci\u003eDark Governance\u003c\/i\u003e also offers an in-depth study of police-trafficker collusion in Argentina, which allows Auyero to identify the ways covert connections between state actors and drug traffickers operate in marginalized communities, affecting interpersonal violence. In addition to these examples in Latin America, Auyero also shares case studies in the United States and China. Dark governance can be seen in US organizations that patrol the borders and assert their control over migrants through their illicit connections with state authorities. In China, land expropriation and development projects are sometimes delayed when some households refuse to leave their properties. Enter the thugs-for-hire frequently contracted by local governments across the country to coerce residents into complying with government orders. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDemonstrating the very real effects of dark governance, Auyero argues that though the organizations involved in these dark arrangements differ, their collaboration results in a singular effect: the ability to control populations. But when these relationships come out of the shadows, collective action can bring them down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Javier Auyero\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0226855279\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780226855271\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/29\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 144\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs","brand":"Javier Auyero","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48874828366079,"sku":"9780226855271","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/dark-governance-javier-auyero-9780226855271","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}