Corruption and Democracy at the State Level in Mexico

Analysts have long acknowledged the prevalence of political corruption in Mexico. Most associated the corruption of the twentieth century with Mexico’s unique one-party hegemonic, authoritarian regime. With the PRI monopolizing control of all levels of government, the Mexican president and a powerful state operated virtually free of political constraints. Mechanisms of horizontal and vertical accountability were severely limited. Neither the courts, the congress, state and local governments, the bureaucracy, nor elections did much to check or to balance the power of the federal executive. Political opposition faced restrictions, the press was muzzled, and corporatist arrangements tied much of civil society