Corruption
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Corruption
Corruption is one of the most ancient and complex phenomena that are present in forms since times of civilization. Corruption has been fundamental in enhancing the abuse of public resources for personal gains. Mexico is one of the developing countries that have largely been affected by corruption, where the political class has played a bigger role in exploiting public resources. It is important to appreciate that corruption harms a country and, more importantly, its people. Understanding corruption as a vice is paramount for citizen s because it forms a basis for a nation to mitigate or end corruption. In some cases, Mexico has been a hub of corruption, such as the bribe that Wal-Mart paid in 2012 for them to acquire a permit and zonal operation from the local government (Ionescu, 2011). The list of firms that have engaged in corruption cases with the Mexican government is long. These cases have largely explained the extensive corruption activities that are witnessed in Mexico. These cases have widely increased the Mexican concerns, and today, corruption is the second most critical concern after security (Chong et al. 2015). Mexico is one of the most corrupt countries. This paper will explore some of the causes of corruption and the serious effects of corruption, and how corruption has influenced its economy and living standards.
Corruption in Mexico is a vice that is perpetuated by politicians and government officials. They are the primary cause of corruption that diverts the public resources into their companies. The poor leadership and lack of oversight bodies that ensure that public resources are utilized appropriately are other causes that significantly played a major role in Mexico’s increased corruption activities (Dimant & Tosato, 2018). It is also important to appreciate that the failed and compromised judicial system in Mexico has also encouraged corruption because perpetrators are not brought to book. The desire for easily acquired wealth has also played a major role in encouraging corruption among government officials. Generally, these are the crucial cause of corruption in Mexico.
One of the major setbacks of corruption in Mexico is that corruption acts as the largest problem that makes business operation and investment in Mexico difficult (Dimant & Tosato, 2018). This is an economic setback for the country and the people for various reasons. First, new businesses in the country help the government generate more revenue that can be utilized to improve various critical sectors of the economy. New businesses also create a new job for the citizen of Mexico. This increases their living standards because of the income they earn from the jobs. With a high level of corruption, which requires a new business to offer bribes before they are given operating licensing by the local government, most invested choose to invest in other countries. Another serious effect associated with corruption in Mexico is the increased national debt. Increased public debt increases the cost of living because a country raises its taxes to ensure that it collects enough revenue to pay the debts. As a result, increased poverty levels, poor infrastructure, and high living costs have dominantly affected the Mexicans (Dimant & Tosato, 2018).
Corruption in Mexico has also influenced its politics, with a legal framework being put in place to curb corruption activities. Over time, voters have been a bribe to vote for a particular candidate, with most candidates engaging in corrupt activities to secure adequate funds for the campaigns (Morris, 2012). This has largely affected the Mexicans because corrupt leaders are elected into government and later embezzle public funds to recover the money used during campaigns. Notably, drug abuse has been a tool of the campaign used by most politicians. This has been attributed to corruption because most crimes do not undergo the justice system. As a result, few criminal cases are reported living the citizen vulnerable to drug abuse (Mercille, 2011). Drug traffickers have also bribe police officers for them to undertake their drug business without facing the law.
In conclusion, corruption is a national concern in Mexico that has largely affected its economy, increased poverty levels, and increased the cost of living. Corruption has increased the country’s debt and discouraged prospective investors from investing in the country. It is a vice that requires a good legal framework and political goodwill to ensure that corruption is fully dealt with.
Reference
Chong, A., De La O, A. L., Karlan, D., &Wantchekon, L. (2015). Does corruption information inspire the fight or quash the hope? A field experiment in Mexico on voter turnout, choice, and party identification. The Journal of Politics, 77(1), 55-71.
Dimant, E., &Tosato, G. (2018). Causes and effects of corruption: What has past decade’s empirical research taught us? A survey. Journal of Economic Surveys, 32(2), 335-356.
Ionescu, L. (2011). Mexico’s pervasive culture of corruption. Economics, management, and financial markets, 6(2), 182-187.
Mercille, J. (2011). Violent narco-cartels or US hegemony? The political economy of the ‘war on drugs’ in Mexico. Third World Quarterly, 32(9), 1637-1653.
Morris, S. D. (2012). Corruption, drug trafficking, and violence in Mexico. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 18(2), 29-43.
