In the Lurch between Government and Chaos: Unconsolidated Democracy in Mexico
Mexico's democratic transition left authoritarian structures intact, allowing organized crime and corruption to fill the governance vacuum and undermine development.
Democratic transitions in Mexico and parts of Central America over the past two decades have tested the limits of their governing institutions. Failure to overhaul old regime structures have left these regions with governing institutions incapable of handling modern, complex challenges. As these primitive systems collapsed, crime and corruption have risen to fill the vacuum, undermining development and economic growth.
Over the past two decades, organized crime has taken over key activities and corruption has become more entrenched at various levels of government.
Reform of individual institutions is not enough to staunch powerful criminal organizations. The critical objective is for the state to recover the monopoly on violence by creating modern, competent democratic institutions capable of engaging in good governance.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Governance in Perspective
III. Globalization as a Force for Democratization
IV. Democratization, Institutions, and Crime
A. The Rise of Organized Crime
V. Institutions and Corruption
A. Institutional Weakness
B. The Consequences of Informality
VI. The Impact of Organized Crime on Society
A. Implications for the Future
B. A Role for the Public?
IV. Conclusions
About the Regional Migration Study Group
This forward-looking initiative focused on shaping collaborative migration and human-capital strategies in North and Central America.
About the U.S. Immigration Policy Program
The U.S. Immigration Policy Program provides analysis of U.S. immigration pathways, the impacts of enforcement and other policies, and the characteristics of immigrant populations.
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