Addressing the development implications of illicit economies: the rise of a policy and research agenda

Allan Gillies, John Collins and Alexander Soderholm

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: This special issue of the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development builds on a growing, multifaceted research and policy agenda that advances development perspectives of illicit economies in the Global South. Conventional policy discourses have typically framed this issue as a security problem, drawing direct and often simplistic causalities with underdevelopment. Illicit economies frequently drive violence, corruption, exploitation and failures in governance, for example. However, for many communities living in poverty and conflict-affected areas across the globe, involvement in illicit economic activity can also ameliorate the immediate problems they face. Illicit economies may provide vital sources of livelihood and underpin stable political orders and socio-economic development at the margins of the state. Broad, securitised policy responses may cause more harm than good in such contexts. Scoping the complex relationship between illicit economies and development, this introductory article outlines key themes of the special issue.

Keywords: illicit economies; JIED; development; livelihoods; corruption; governance controls (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-01-14
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in Journal of Illicit Economies and Development, 14, January, 2019, pp. 1-8. ISSN: 2516-7227

Downloads: (external link)
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/100327/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:100327

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library LSE Library Portugal Street London, WC2A 2HD, U.K.. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by LSERO Manager ().