Judicial Performance and the Rule of Law in the Mexican States
Abstract: What determines how judicial institutions perform? Prominent
theoretical approaches such as international political economy,
institutional rational choice, social capital, and structural theories suggest
that international economic actors, political competition, political
participation, and poverty may all be important forces driving institutional
behavior. This paper analyzes these various theoretical approaches and
uses qualitative and statistical analysis to compare judicial performance in
the Mexican states. The paper provides evidence to support the
institutional rational choice hypothesis that political competition generates
judicial independence. Poverty, political participation, and an export-
oriented economy seem to influence judicial access and effectiveness.
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