The Tyranny of Narco‐Power: Political Rule and Austere Domination in Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract

AbstractThis article analyzes narco‐power as a mode of political rule. Based on research in the Mexican state of Michoacán, this study focuses on rural villagers’ experiences of political rule by three criminal organizations: the Zetas, Familia Michoacana, and Caballeros Templarios. The article argues that narco‐power is understood as a tyrannical political force exercised over everyday life that involves extortion, limited governance, and armed social control. Drawing on Aristotle's theorization of tyranny, this study develops the concept of austere domination as a contribution to the comparative study of the tyrannies of narco‐power.