Bad Medicine

This text, primarily from a paper by Christopher Blattman titled "Bad medicine," argues that there is no universal approach to tackling organized crime, particularly urban systems. Instead of importing seemingly successful strategies like those used in New York City or El Salvador, policymakers must diagnose the specific nature of the criminal problem they face, considering factors such as the source of criminal revenue (extortion versus drug markets) and the degree of criminal political organization (atomized individuals, fragmented groups, or competing confederations). The paper analyzes cases in cities like Chicago, Medellín, and San Salvador, highlighting how these different contexts require tailored policy tools, ranging from focused deterrence and community interventions to addressing local revenue streams. Ultimately, it advocates for a problem-driven, adaptive, and iterative approach involving continuous diagnosis and experimentation, often through public-private-academic partnerships, due to the complex and ever-evolving nature of organized crime.