10.7910/DVN/LTUYNA Wilke, Anna M Anna M Wilke https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5004-1589 New York University Harvard Dataverse 2025 Social Sciences state capacity policing crime informal justice punishment Sub-Saharan Africa Anna M Wilke Anna M Wilke New York University Wilke, Anna M Anna M Wilke New York University 2024-09-23 2025-02-26 64954505 application/zip 1.0 Custom terms specific to this dataset Mob vigilantism - the punishment of criminal suspects by groups of citizens - is widespread throughout the developing world. This paper sheds light on the relation- ship between state capacity and citizens’ choice between reliance on the state and vigilantism. I implemented a field experiment in South Africa that randomly varies the capacity of police to locate households. Findings from surveys conducted several months later suggest households that have become legible to police are more willing to rely on police and less willing to participate in vigilantism. An additional information experiment points towards increased fear of state punishment for vigilantism rather than improved police service quality as the likely mechanism. The broader implication is that citizens’ willingness to cooperate with capable state institutions need not reflect satisfaction with state services. Such cooperation can also be due to the state’s ability to limit citizens’ choices by ruling out informal alternatives like vigilantism. This dataset underwent an independent verification process, complying with the AJPS Verification Policy updated June 2023, which replicated the tables and figures in the primary article. For the supplementary materials, verification was performed solely for the successful execution of the code. The verification process was carried out by the Cornell Center for Social Sciences at Cornell University. <br></br> The associated article has been awarded the Open Materials Badge. Learn more about the Open Practice Badges from the <a href="https://www.cos.io/">Center for Open Science</a>. <br></br> <img src="https://socialsciences.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2024-04/materials_large_color.png" alt="Open Materials Badge " width="60" height="60"> <br></br> Open Materials Badge