Organized Crime and Violence Quiz Review

VOCABULARY flashcards covering key concepts from lecture notes on organized crime, terrorism, violence types, and criminal governance.

White-Collar Crime

Crime that takes place within the legal sphere, such as in corporate affairs, where people deviate from an otherwise legal enterprise.

Terrorism

The use of tools such as violence, coercion, and corruption to achieve political goals.

Organized Crime

A criminal enterprise where the activity itself is the enterprise, using violence and coercion to regulate a market and sustain profit.

Disciplinary Violence

Violence used by leaders of organized crime groups on lower-status members as a form of punishment or as a preventative measure.

Successional Violence

Internal conflict where lower-status members use violence against higher-status members, usually with the motive of taking their place.

Criminal Governance

When organized crime groups act as a controlling power toward the people residing in their territory by enforcing rules, resolving disputes, and providing services.

Policing (in Criminal Governance)

A sphere of governance where organized crime groups prohibit theft, regulate violence, and ban sexual harassment.

Judicial (in Criminal Governance)

A sphere of governance involving the resolution of disputes, enforcement of contracts, and punishment of infractions.

Fiscal (in Criminal Governance)

A sphere of governance involving taxing businesses and residents or providing public goods and welfare.

Costly-Signalling Theory

How individuals use high-cost, difficult-to-fake actions to send credible signals about their toughness, loyalty, or trustworthiness in environments with limited information.

Attrition

A strategy of imposing costs and ongoing pressure to wear down an opponent's will until the target concedes.

Intimidation

A psychological tool using violence or threats to create a pervasive climate of fear to influence a government or civilian population.

Provocation

Deliberately trying to trigger a strong reaction from a target, goading them into an overreaction or violation of their own laws.

Spoiling

A strategic tactic used by extremist groups to undermine or derail peace negotiations and destroy trust between negotiating parties.

Outbidding

A strategy where organizations increase the severity or brutality of attacks to prove they are the most committed defender of a cause compared to rivals.

Insurgents

Armed, unconventional rebellion groups acting against an established government or authority to overthrow or weaken that ruling power.

Paramilitaries

Organizations with a military-style structure and training that are not affiliated with the official militant-sphere, usually having political aims.

Principle-Agent Problem

A conflict of interest that arises when a leader (principal) delegates tasks to subordinates (agents) who may act for selfish gain rather than the organization's interest.

Signalling

The use of violence to demonstrate capability or status, such as killing a high-ranking member to prove one's ability to higher-ups.

Commitment Problems

The issue when parties cannot credibly promise to stick to a deal because there is no higher authority present to enforce the agreement.

First-strike advantages

A strategic advantage gained by hitting first to avoid future vulnerability.

Shifting power

The motivation to fight now rather than negotiate from a worse position later when a rival group may become stronger.

Strategic turf

Valuable territory that groups fight over because neither side trusts the other to peacefully share control that could shift future power.

Issue Indivisibility

When a dispute (such as territory) cannot be easily split or compromised, making negotiation impossible and leading to high-intensity violence.

Protection Racket

A situation where a criminal group demands money or favors in exchange for protection, often from the group making the demands.

Time Horizon

The amount of time a group expects to stay in power, which determines whether they prioritize short-term gains or long-term stability.

Symbiosis

A mutually beneficial relationship of dependence between organized crime and the state where both sides gain advantages without explicit coordination.

Politics

The process by which individuals make decisions that affect others, involving power, control, alliances, and authority.

Power Vacuums

A void in leadership or territory created when a dominant leader is removed, often triggering violent turf wars between rival factions.

Violent Lobbying

The use of targeted violence and threats to coerce state officials into changing or abandoning specific laws or policies.

Gatekeeping

When organized crime controls who can enter and campaign in a territory, effectively reducing the candidate pool.

Corralling

The use of persuasion (bribing) and active coercion (threats) to shape how residents vote in a specific territory.