Rebuilding the State Institutions: Challenges for Democratic Rule of Law in Mexico

Contemporary Mexico faces a complex crisis of violence and insecurity with high levels of impunity and the lack of an effective rule of law. These weaknesses in the rule of law are multidimensional and involve elements of institutional design, the specific content of the laws, particularities of political competition and a culture of legality in a country with severe social inequalities. This book discusses necessary institutional and legal reforms to develop the rule of law in a context of democratic, social and economic transformations. The chapters are organized to address: 1) The concept of the ‘rule of law’ and its measurement; 2) The fragility of the ‘rule of law’ in Mexico; 3) Structural reforms and implementation challenges; 4) Social exclusion and the culture of legality. The book addresses decision-makers, civil servants, consultants, scholars, lecturers, and students focusing on public policy, rule of law, sociology of law, legislative studies and practice,impunity, and areas of political philosophy.

• The book presents an interdisciplinary and integrated approach for understanding the rule of law in Mexico, taking into account national particularities, the regional context and global comparisons.

• Chapters discuss recent institutional reforms in Mexico from a critical point of view and explore possible next steps to achieve effective implementation.
• This book addresses the links between a weak rule of law and social phenomena like insecurity, violence, corruption and democratic deficits.