Changes in Public Opinion toward Corruption in Mexico: 2004 and 2010 Polls

In recent years, opinion polls have shed light on the public's perception and involvement in political corruption, as well as corruption's impact on feelings of regime legitimacy, confidence in public institutions, and support for democracy. Yet few studies have examined changes in these perceptions over time. This paper explores changes in the public's perceptions of political corruption in Mexico from 2004 to 2010. Contrasting the national situation in the two time periods, I develop and test a series of hypotheses linking democratization, the level of government-sponsored anti-corruption rhetoric, and the drug war to changes in political corruption. Analysis shows a clear increase in the perception of corruption and growing disillusionment of the government's efforts to fight it during the period, with a more mixed picture relating to actual involvement through bribery or solicitation of bribes. Analysis concludes by demonstrating once again how views on corruption have a detrimental impact on the public's confidence in government institutions and support for democracy.