Corruption and organized crime remain a challenge to new democracies such as Albania. This talk will help explain the nexus between organized crime and politics and its consequences for democracy. Dr. Zhilla’s explanation of this phenomenon is a term he coins “Mafiocracy.” Unlike what other theories propose, he believes that organized crime does not compete with state actors for power; rather, there is an alliance formed between corrupt members of the political elite and organized crime to exploit the rule of law and evade accountability. As a result, this informal agreement has allowed organized crime to access governance and dismantle law enforcement agencies.
