Policy In Mexico Research Articles

Development as terracide: sacrifice zones and extractivism as state policy in Mexico

ABSTRACT Mexico's declaration of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in 2017 marked a significant territorial shift with far-reaching geopolitical implications. The establishment of SEZs represents the culmination of a three-decade period – starting with neoliberal reforms initiated in 1992 – during which Mexican state policies have increasingly prioritized hydrocarbon and mineral extraction. The proliferation of SEZs, or designated ‘development poles’, underscores a concurrent expansion of sacrifice zones – places abandoned, polluted, rendered invisible, or outright eliminated in pursuit of ostensibly greater common goods such as economic growth, progress, and more recently, sustainable development or decarbonization. Drawing on findings from 21 semi-structured interviews, this article elucidates how green extractivism shapes spatial politics in Mexico. Moreover, it provides a systematic categorization of both existing and emerging ‘green’ and ‘indirect’ (‘grey’) sacrifice zones as the state continues its push toward development as terracide.

Voices and Perspectives from Our Online Press on the State of English Language Teaching in Mexico

This documentary research on the discourse in electronic media surrounding the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language on the Mexico’s border describes the social framework and analyses various linguistic contexts to make provisional recommendations regarding foreign language policy in Mexico. The digital journalism selected issues an opinion on (1) the teaching of English as a language additional to Spanish in Mexico (English Language Teaching, ELT), and (2) Mexico’s position (at Federal and State level) implicit in their regional implementation of ELT. Thirteen articles from 12 regional, national, and international media sources were analysed using Guespin and Marcellesi’s (1986) and Arnoux and Bein’s (2015) theories, alongside Bardin’s (1996) content analysis method for linguistic contexts in border regions. Qualitative analysis techniques were employed to identify and categorize the positions on foreign language policy presented in the Mexican media. The authors conclude with recommendations for ELT policy, proposing actions for foreign language policy planning. We argue for raised teacher-training standards to improve foreign language learning in mainstream education and Private language schools, thus positioning the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California to take more agency in our regional support role to the Mexican Secretariate of Education

Regional per capita income inequality and fiscal policy in Mexico, 1989–2021

AbstractIn this paper, we use trends in GDP gaps per capita or relative GDP per capita indicator as an aggregate alternative measure to show regional per capita income inequality between the states of Mexico. The indicator compares each state's gross domestic product per capita (GDPpc) with the annual average of each year and 2019; this allows for evaluating growth performance before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The econometric method is a spatial dynamic panel, and the convergence–divergence model is conditioned to the behavior of the fiscal policy followed in each state: The fiscal policy indicators are current expenditure and public investment. In general, it is concluded that the amounts of current spending and public investment, in an active fiscal policy context, tend to favor states with higher relative per capita income, which is why an increase in regional inequality is observed. However, it tends to affect low-income regions more, with higher ratios of current spending and investment to GDP, which reduces regional inequality. Therefore, the short-term effects of active fiscal policy to reduce regional disparities can be neutralized.

Cultural Norms and the Gendered Impact of Entrepreneurship Policy in Mexico

This article explores how policies that reduce barriers to entrepreneurship impact underrepresented groups differently depending on local norms and cultural beliefs. While prior studies suggest that underrepresented groups should benefit more than other groups do from policies lowering entry barriers, the empirical evidence is mixed. We argue that the absence of normative and cognitive support can undermine the effectiveness of these policies for underrepresented groups. To explore this, we leveraged the staggered rollout of a policy that reduced entry barriers to entrepreneurship in Mexico. The results show that while the policy increased the number of businesses founded by men, it had a small and statistically insignificant impact for women, thus exacerbating the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Further analyses suggest that while women were not more likely to become involved in entrepreneurship as founders, they did become engaged in alternative roles within new ventures, often leaving other forms of employment to enter unpaid work in businesses founded by men in their household. The effects of the policy on the gender gap in entrepreneurship and unpaid work were more pronounced in areas with a strong patriarchy logic and among married individuals. This research highlights the need to consider context in the design of policies intended to encourage entrepreneurship.

The Seeds of the Mexican Countryside

Objective: The objective of this work is to make an analysis of the types of seeds use by Mexican farmers and their relationship with Local Seed Systems (SLS) and Formal Seed Systems (SFS). Design/methodology/approach: The work consisted of a bibliographic review about the types of seeds available for the Mexican countryside and their seed systems. In addition, to identify some priorities and strategies for its strengthening. Results: In Mexico, derived from its climatic, edaphic, geophysical heterogeneity, cultural social and economic diversity. It has caused both landraces and improved seed to coexist in the SLS and SFS. However, there is a predominance in the use of landraces in SLS of 70 to 80 %. Therefore, it is considered a priority to conserve traditional selection, management, conservation and use practices that have caused the wide inter- and intraspecific diversity of landraces. However, more research needs to be carried out and its legal framework strengthened. In the case of improved seeds located mainly in SFS, it is considered to promote their use in vegetables and the ornamental sector. Limitations on study/implications: The work developed could be complemented with the participation and interviews of decision makers in seed policies in Mexico and the review of processed in other countries. Findings/conclusions: In Mexico the use of native and improved seeds coexists. To satisfy the demand for food, all types of seeds are important and both the SLS and the SFS but differentiated public policies are required for their attention and the definition of a specific legal framework for landraces.

The Mental Health Provider Shortage in the Mexican Public Sector: 2023 estimates of psychiatrists and psychologists

Introduction. Mental health has historically been overlooked in public policies in Mexico, with up to 80% of people with mental health and substance-related disorders in Mexico lacking adequate care. Objective. To characterize the mental health provider (psychiatrists and psychologists) shortage in the Mexican public sector. Method. Descriptive study. Data from SINERHIAS (Ministry of Health of Mexico) up to the first half of 2023 were analyzed. Results. A total of 1,504 psychiatrists worked in the public sector (1.1 per 100,000 population). The Health Ministry (Secretaría de Salud; Spanish acronym SS) employed 55.9%, IMSS 25.9%, ISSSTE 7.2%, while 1.0% were affiliated to other public institutions. There were 8,668 psychologists in the public sector (6.9 per 100,000 population), of which the SS employed 78.9%, IMSS 6.3%, ISSSTE 2.4%, while 12.3% worked at other public institutions. Thirty-four per cent of psychiatrists were in Mexico City, while 21 states, accounting for 70% of the population, had one psychiatrist or fewer per 100,000 population. Hospital units employed 83.3% of psychiatrists. Discussion. Mexico has an insufficient number of mental health providers at public institutions, with disparities between states and most providers affiliated to hospital units. Conclusion. There is an acute mental health provider shortage in the Mexican public sector, together with limited resources for community mental health care, affecting the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.

The Perfect Storm: Applying the Multiple Streams Framework to Understand the Adoption of a WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control-Based Policy in Mexico.

The aim of this study was to document how Mexico adopted a WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)-based national tobacco control law. We analyzed publicly available documents and interviewed 14 key stakeholders. We applied the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to analyze these findings. Previous attempts to approve comprehensive FCTC-based initiatives failed due to a lack of political will, the tobacco industry's close connections to policymakers, and a lack of health advocacy coordination. Applying the MSF reveals increased attention towards collecting and sharing data to frame the severity of the problem (problem stream). The expansion of a coordinated health advocacy coalition and activities led to increased support for desired FCTC policy solutions (policy stream). The election of President López Obrador and legislative changes led to a deep renewed focus on tobacco control (politics stream). These three streams converged to create a policy window to secure a strong FCTC-based initiative on the political agenda that was ultimately passed. The Mexican experience illustrates the importance of continued health advocacy and political will in adopting FCTC-based policies. Other countries should follow Mexico's lead by collecting and sharing data through coordinating efforts in order to be prepared to seize political opportunity windows when strong political will is present.

‘Until the land title is in my hands, the land is not sold!’: land, violence, and Indigenous survivance in Michoacán, Mexico

ABSTRACT In this article, we use a settler capitalism framework that centers racialized gender violence in the pueblo of San Miguel Nocutzepo. We tell a story about how neoliberal policy in Mexico permitted the privatization of formerly collectively held Indigenous ejido land, which resulted in selloffs to outsiders who invested in avocado production and ended up being controlled by organized crime. Specifically, we point to the intersections between the regional agricultural recomposition and the social fabric of life in Nocutzepo as we attribute the land repurposing that the avocado-producing region of Michoacán has undergone with the encroachment of settler capitalism and organized crime. We also, however, highlight narratives of survivance in Nocutzepo that shed light on the various ways people faced violence to protect their family, pueblo, and land. Finally, we focus on a mothers-led struggle for youth and community empowerment and well-being or buen vivir that lobbied for a new Indigenous bilingual intercultural school in Nocutzepo to respond to the decline of subsistence agriculture. Our findings caution that while not all Indigenous struggles result in collective victories, everyday practices of resistance form an essential basis of survival.

Construction of Mexico's geopolitical policy for strengthening the implementation of foreign direct investment in Mexico

Mexico has a long history of bilateral policies that impact each other. Geographically, it is in a strategic location bordering the USA. In addition, the establishment of various international cooperation frameworks has increased the flow of foreign capital into Mexico. This study aims to 1) examine the international framework of FDI policy in Mexico and 2) determine the effect of FDI on increasing economic growth in Mexico. The methodology used is a combination method that combines qualitative analysis to construct an analytical framework and quantitative analysis by looking directly at statistical data related to increased capital flows, economic growth, and other indicators. This research provides results showing that the increase in foreign capital inflows in Mexico is part of the response to the global situation of the prepared policy scenario. The results of this study provide a framework of international strategies and policies undertaken by Mexico in preparing a response to foreign direct investment (FDI) entering the country.

Unraveling how intermediary‐beneficiary interaction shapes policy implementation

AbstractAs a result of policy growth, implementing agencies often face new mandates without the necessary capacity expansion to comply with, thus resorting to intermediaries. However, intermediaries are not innocuous to the implementation process, especially when they are expected to play the double role of target and intermediary, responsible for translating/interpreting regulation for beneficiaries. How does the interaction between beneficiaries and intermediaries‐target shape policy implementation? I argue that such interaction is not only determined by the role the intermediary adopts, and their relation with the beneficiary, but also by the motivations beneficiaries have for engaging in the regulatory process, and their capacity to do so. I develop a theoretical framework for understanding their interaction and apply it to a new regulatory policy in Mexico to provide social security for paid domestic workers. I explore the mechanisms by which the interaction between intermediaries and beneficiaries affects the outcome of the regulatory process.

Level of Economic Development and National Policies in Mexico and Nigeria (1970-2018): A Comparative Analysis of Growth and Institutions

The research compares Mexico and Nigeria's growth and development disparities using Sen and Collier's frameworks by examining various factors. It aims to propose policies on interest rates, FDI, external debt, government spending on health, education, and welfare. Results highlight positive impacts on Mexico's GNI from external debt, government spending, and FDI, and in Nigeria, all variables except interest rates positively affect GNI. Key recommendations include reducing Nigeria's debt by investing in bonds, using domestic debts and for both countries; enhancing welfare through Progresa, transparency in expenditure using online reporting, and infrastructure; boosting income and employment in Mexico with knowledge transfer, innovation, and transport improvements; and addressing violence by alleviating poverty through proposed subsidy programs and anti-corruption measures.

The influence of femicide on criminal behavior: An empirical approach using economic complexity for crime prevention in Mexico

Following the economic complexity methodology introduced by Hausmann et al. (2013), this study establishes an order of crime evolution in Mexico. This ordering is based on the complexity of crimes, as determined by the capabilities required to commit them. According to the study, the least complex crimes in Mexico include robbery in collective public transport, robbery in individual transport, counterfeiting, and auto parts theft. On the other hand, the crimes characterized by the highest complexity involve organized crime, intentional and unintentional homicide, and the trafficking of minors. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that femicide and rape exhibit the most significant centrality or influence within the criminal network. According to the model, crimes associated with violence against women are those that most increase the probability of committing another crime. Therefore, targeted prevention efforts aimed at reducing femicide and rape may substantially impact overall levels of criminality in Mexico. This study also highlights the importance of addressing violence against women in designing crime prevention policies in Mexico. Moreover, the methodology adopted in this study can be reinterpreted as a spectral clustering algorithm and thus also contributes to the literature on machine learning applications in public policy design.

Turismo rural en México. Una trazabilidad histórica y socioestructural en las ruralidades

The objective of this article is to address the historical contextualisation of rural tourism in Mexico, within the framework of socio-structural change and its territorial manifestations. Analysis was applied from the theoretical-methodological perspective of problem-history posed by Erik Hobsbawm, who focuses his analytical interest on the history of structures and transformations in societies and cultures. It was concluded that, although several authors have made historical traceability on the deployment of public policies in Mexico, which impacted on agrarian and tourism issues, it is still necessary to focus on the communities where these interventions took place and account for the changes and modifications that have been generated as a result of the new economic dynamics inserted in the territory, which gave rise to the so-called New Ruralities.

Financial Literacy and Financial Well-Being Among Businesspersons from Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico

This study aims to analyze the relationship between financial literacy and financial well-being among businesspersons in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, México. The applied methodology includes confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression models. Our results indicate that financial literacy is related to financial well-being directly through its financial behavior component and inversely through financial attitude. Moreover, financial knowledge was not significantly associated with it. Hence, we propose the following recommendations for businesspeople and entrepreneurs: becoming more involved in healthy financial inclusion and financial literacy practices and inspiring their transition from models focused solely on profits to others considering their self-realization and satisfaction. Its main limitations and implications are the scarcity of data to perform an analysis by industry, its geographical outreach, and its public policy repercussions. Its originality lies in analyzing financial well-being among businesspeople, a topic rarely studied in Mexico. Our conclusions impact the implementation of the financial inclusion policy in Mexico and, therefore, contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The impact of the Covid-19 vaccination policy in Mexico. A quasi-experimental effectiveness evaluation of a multi-vaccine strategy

Objective. To assess the impact of a vaccination campaign that administered five different technologies in a middle-income country with one of the largest Covid-19 epidemics. Materials and methods. Using data from Mexico’s Epidemiological Surveillance System for Viral Respiratory Disease (Sisver) and the design of the vaccine policy in Mexico as a natural experiment, we applied difference-in-differences econometric methods to assess the strategy’s effectiveness on transmission, hospitalizations, and mortality rates among adults 60 to 64 years old in Mexico between April and June 2021. Results. We estimated average effectiveness levels of 60.9% against confirmed cases of Covid-19. Vaccination also decreased hospitalizations and deaths by 62.7 and 62.6%, respectively. After adjusting for vaccination coverage, we found an impact of 79.1, 80.9, and 81.3% reduction in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among the vaccinated. Conclusion. Despite the significant progress in our knowledge of Covid-19 vaccination effectiveness, the available evidence relies mostly on experiences from high-income countries. This study contributes to the scientific literature of Covid-19 vaccination effectiveness in a middle-income country with a multi-vaccine scheme.

Global supply chain inflationary pressures and monetary policy in Mexico

In this paper, we examine the impact of stress in the global supply chains on inflation and monetary policy in Mexico, a representative emerging market economy. Using non-linear local projections, we estimate the degree of monetary policy tightening required in a high-stress supply chain environment and compare it to that in a low-stress environment. We instrument the monetary policy shocks with shocks to the federal funds rate. Results suggest that in a high-stress regime, the effect of an increase in the monetary policy interest rate on inflation over a one-year period is reduced considerably. We argue that this reduction is due to the slow response of inflation expectations to a monetary policy tightening in a high-stress regime. Furthermore, raising the interest rate has an effect on producer price inflation, a channel that is absent in a low-stress regime. This finding highlights the role of monetary policy in stabilizing inflation when facing supply shocks that are not necessarily permanent.

Public service innovation to fight corruption: metrics and policy in Mexico 2019–2022

The purpose is to identify and analyze some innovations in public services, PSI, between 2019 and 2022 to evaluate their attempts to deter corruption in a context where the current government’s Mexican public sector has been improving its capacity to fight corruption as the most critical problem. The research is designed to describe 12 PSI selected from the national level. Their innovativeness is measured through an INDICO index adapted from technology firms, which mainly has added a perception of its public value besides their use value. Corruption is measured based on the neo-institutional approach on three axes: public–private relations, its organization, and the agents’ behavior. The question is to measure the impact of the innovations in deterring corruption, which is estimated by the difference in magnitude between the current and the previous one.The findings are:The neo-institutional theory highlights corruption-related aspects rooted in public–private relations, however, complemented with social and management approaches.The INDICO index measures, based on a pre-established 10-point quantitative maximum scale distributed between components on capacity -knowledge of the service, training, design, peer evaluation through external links- and on innovation results in public services—its legitimization through public value, and its possible replication (diffusion), which an expert in the field of innovation qualitatively evaluates.The impact of the selected Public Service Innovations shows that there is a positive effect in reducing the level of corruption. The more systemic or institutionalized corruption is, the more difficult it is to develop effective strategies proving their long-term value.The PSIs have been managed by the government’s leadership founded on legitimate authority, secured from the victory in the 2018 elections in Mexico, enabling it to put forward its top-to-bottom anti-corruption program. A more extended period, a group of experts, and more cases are desirable to assess PSI sustainability. However, the methodology could be extended to other contexts for policymakers or practitioners in public services and corruption.

A political economy of youth policy in Mexico

ABSTRACT This article discusses the recent adoption of a large-scale youth programme in Mexico. Political economy approaches offer a critical account of the institutional arrangements that have resulted in the emergence of specific educational, labour and, more recently, youth policies in the Latin American region. Studies of youth policies are still developing and are a multidisciplinary field. This article draws on various theoretical traditions from various fields, constituting a novel approach to studying these policies. This article combines empirical evidence drawn from interviews with policy stakeholders with the analysis of key policy documents. It employs a Cultural Political Economy (CPE) approach to explain the Mexican government’s adoption of the youth programme Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro’ (JCF) in 2018, which provides paid on-the-job training to 2.3 million young people aged 18–29. The JCF’s adoption resulted from the rising to power of a left-wing political coalition presenting an anti-neoliberal alternative based on explicit notions of social justice and inclusion with a national development plan reminiscent of an inward-oriented development paradigm aimed at strengthening the internal market, reminiscent of recent ‘neo-developmentalist’ projects in the region. JCF represents a notorious case study of the political economy of youth policy in Mexico.

Individual and organizational effects of international mobility policy: Effects of Mexico’s Scholarship Program in nanotechnology

Abstract This paper addresses policy effects of international mobility in developing countries. It proposes a multilevel approach to study research training policies, specifically focusing on international mobility schemes as capacity-building instruments, where effects need to be identified at both individual and organizational levels. The paper asserts that current categorizations of country efforts to build a solid scientific base should consider transference of effects in domestic research contexts. Using a survey and interview-based study of a mobility policy in Mexico, and nanotechnology-related disciplines and sectors, this paper’s findings suggest that mobility policies are crucial in creating high-quality individual research skills, but that their impact on building domestic research capacity may be modest. This paper contributes to the evaluation literature on national research training programs and their influence on research capacity in two ways. First, it mobilizes a multilevel analytical approach to examine the effects of policies on individuals and organizations, offering a broader conceptualization of impact. Second, by introducing these individual and organizational effects, the paper provides insights into how effects are enacted and transferred.

Cybersecurity, cyberspace and cyberthreats at the beginning of the 21st century: a Latin America typology and review

ABSTRACT Concepts of ‘cyberspace’, ‘cybersecurity’ and ‘cyberthreats’ and an analysis of policy documents are employed to explore the character and evolution of cybersecurity policies in Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, chosen as examples of ‘accelerated’, ‘transitional’ and ‘lagging’ Latin American development. Mexico focused on the stability of the Internet as a space that contributes to faster economic growth. Columbia’s ‘risk management’ path seeks a balance between plausible threat evaluation and the estimated cost of eliminating them and concentrates on the active prevention of cyberattacks, emphasising the importance of developing concrete mechanisms for international regulation in the field of cybersecurity. The approach to cybersecurity of the Dominican Republic is based on the idea of ensuring a rapid transition to an innovative development model with the widespread introduction of information and communication technology (ICT), while addressing domestic cybercrime to which ordinary citizens and businesses are constantly exposed to. Comparing these experiences, it is clear that these approaches are characterised by two trends: randomness and non-imitation.