Linking Crime and Corruption: The Case of Mexico

Abstract

At a fundamental level, crime and corruption represent a failure to control society (crime) and the state (corruption), and Mexico faces major problems in both arenas. But despite parallels, the literature exploring the relationships linking crime and corruption beyond the area of drug trafficking remains limited. Few examine the broader relationship or the question of causal direction. Drawing on the case of Mexico and a review of the literature, the current chapter explores both the direct and indirect mechanisms by which crime facilitates corruption and how corruption generates crime. This chapter also considers the possibility of mutual causality and the influence of third factors ranging from weak institutions, low levels of legitimacy, poverty, inequality, and neoliberalism and how each affects both crime and corruption. The paper concludes by pointing to the need to differentiate and disaggregate types of corruption and crime.