Understanding support for tough‐on‐crime policies in Latin America: The cases of Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras

This article examines tough‐on‐crime strategies in El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico. These three countries have been plagued by gangs and organized crime‐related violence. Scholars have written about the consequences of iron fist strategies, which have resulted in increasing levels of violence. This article seeks to fill a gap in the scholarly literature by examining what factors influence perceptions about tough‐on‐crime strategies, using survey data in the cases of Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras. The article finds that fear is a key factor that influences support for mano dura policies.