Corruption and the Mexican political system: continuity and change

Thanks to the nature of its political system, Mexico has had a long history of political corruption. Yet recent changes in the patterns of corruption and broader political changes have seemingly altered the equation. Anger ov er rampant corruption under President Carlos Salinas contributed to the stu nning electoral defeat of the PRI in July 1997, while the outcome, the PRI' s loss of majority control of the Chamber of Deputies, will add to the stru ctural pressures that have mounted in recent years against institutionalise d corruption. This article explores these trends. It sets out the historica l and theoretical foundations of corruption in Mexico, examines changes in the incidence and patterns of corruption, and discusses the impact of recen t political changes on this aspect of the system. Though cautiously optimis tic regarding the impact of Mexico's political breakthrough on efforts to d eal with the problem of corruption, the essay concludes on a cautious note, highlighting the difficulties other Latin American countries have encounte red in strengthening the rule of law and reining in corruption.