The Economic, Political, and Institutional Causes of Crime in Mexico

To cover the issue of criminality in Mexico comprehensively, we will investigate various aspects of the country's social, economic, and political structures. The examination of the causes and the results of criminal behavior in Mexico will be divided into three categories: (1) the economic causes of social problems, (2) problems resulting from the socio-cultural environment, (3) institutional problems and problems of individual deviance.

This study is by no means meant to be interpreted as a comprehensive list of criminal and social problems in Mexico, but as a guide to the various underlying causes of those crimes.

Introduction

Most commentators on Mexican-American relations focus only on the dire economic situation faced by Mexicans (consider all the controversy currently surrounding the illegal immigration debate), but they tend to ignore the impact of drug cartels, the influence of the mafia, and the conspicuous interdependence between the Mexican government and these criminal organizations. Past research tends to focus on economic policy, such as international cooperation between the Mexican and U.S. governments, America's economic aid to Mexico, and various programs implemented by the Mexican government under the pretense of positive economic reform. However, an increasing amount of research is emerging which implicates government corruption as a major cause of the social chaos in Mexico, mostly along the Mexico-U.S. border.