2021/08/12 by Philippe Dautrey, Dautrey, Philippe
Social Sciences · #FOS: Political science #History and Politics in Latin America #Political Dynamics in Latin America #Social Issues and Policies in Latin America
paper · doi:10.23692/imex.20.3
openalex publication_date 2021/08/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
pp. 33-47. In Mexico the corruption of the State is a systemic phenomenon, typical of the corporatist regime that ensued from the 1910-17 revolution. It derives from authoritarianism and its compulsory tolerance for impunity as well as the consent to illegality and the lack of a genuine citizenship. It rests upon institutions such as the spoils system (the allocation of public positions according to discretionary criteria) and the collusion between the State and the private sector, which neoliberalism revisited. In fact, these issues are related to democracy and its corollary, the rule of law. That being said, the presidential elections of 2018 marked the rise to power of a candidate whose campaign promise focused on fighting corruption. The Fourth Transformation he implemented aims to root it out on the basis of a legal approach (the tightening of anti-corruption laws) and a social one (based on the assumption that poverty and marginalization are factors conducive to its continuation). Fundamentally, it comes down to descorporating the institutions and especially strengthening a rational-legal framework likely to do away with the abuses of discretion and corruption that are so detrimental to the country.