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The Impact of Organised Crime on Economic Growth. The Case of Southern Italy.

Scalzulli, Michele LU (2022) EKHS21 20221
Department of Economic History
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between organised crime and economic growth in 36 Southern Italian provinces. First, a theoretical framework is used to examine Southern Italian criminal organisations (Mafia) as institutions. Its emergence is explained through historical, cultural and institutional factors. Subsequently, with an empirical analysis the study attempts to find a negative correlation between the Transcrime Mafia Presence Index (IPM) and GDP per capita. A further empirical analysis attempts to find a negative correlation between police reports of crimes typically associated with organised crime and GDP per capita. The findings suggest that a high IPM value is associated with lower levels GDP per capita.... (More)
The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between organised crime and economic growth in 36 Southern Italian provinces. First, a theoretical framework is used to examine Southern Italian criminal organisations (Mafia) as institutions. Its emergence is explained through historical, cultural and institutional factors. Subsequently, with an empirical analysis the study attempts to find a negative correlation between the Transcrime Mafia Presence Index (IPM) and GDP per capita. A further empirical analysis attempts to find a negative correlation between police reports of crimes typically associated with organised crime and GDP per capita. The findings suggest that a high IPM value is associated with lower levels GDP per capita. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the reports of “Mafia-type association”, “Mafia-type homicide” and “extortion”, and GDP per capita. The results of the second analysis confirm that the presence of Mafia is detrimental to the economy and suggest that extortions might be accountable for it. However, most of the correlations found in the study are approximately weak. This suggests that the code of silence of “omertà” and its subsequent dark figure of crime, influence the outcomes of police reports especially in the areas where Mafia is acutely influential. (Less)
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author
Scalzulli, Michele LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS21 20221
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Organised crime, Economic growth, Mafia, Southern Italy, Extortion, Omertà.
language
English
id
9092867
date added to LUP
2022-06-28 10:05:25
date last changed
2022-06-28 10:05:25
@misc{9092867,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between organised crime and economic growth in 36 Southern Italian provinces. First, a theoretical framework is used to examine Southern Italian criminal organisations (Mafia) as institutions. Its emergence is explained through historical, cultural and institutional factors. Subsequently, with an empirical analysis the study attempts to find a negative correlation between the Transcrime Mafia Presence Index (IPM) and GDP per capita. A further empirical analysis attempts to find a negative correlation between police reports of crimes typically associated with organised crime and GDP per capita. The findings suggest that a high IPM value is associated with lower levels GDP per capita. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the reports of “Mafia-type association”, “Mafia-type homicide” and “extortion”, and GDP per capita. The results of the second analysis confirm that the presence of Mafia is detrimental to the economy and suggest that extortions might be accountable for it. However, most of the correlations found in the study are approximately weak. This suggests that the code of silence of “omertà” and its subsequent dark figure of crime, influence the outcomes of police reports especially in the areas where Mafia is acutely influential.}},
  author       = {{Scalzulli, Michele}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Impact of Organised Crime on Economic Growth. The Case of Southern Italy.}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}