Difference between revisions of "Mordida (Mexico)"

[[File:mordida.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Police officers have a literal bite in Mexico City]]

[[File:mordida.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Police officers have a literal bite in Mexico City]]

There are several reasons why the ''mordida'' is a pervasive practice in Mexico. Firstly, the ''mordida'' is widely viewed as necessary because of the perception that Mexican laws and regulations are so difficult to comply with that people feel they are left with no choice but to find an arrangement through extra-legal means<ref>Morris, S. D. 2003. ‘Corruption and Mexican Political Culture’, Journal of the Southwest, 45(4): 671–708.</ref>. Furthermore, excessive red tape is often exploited by unscrupulous bureaucrats, who arbitrarily come up with endless requirements to complete an administrative process. For instance, it is not uncommon for people seeking everyday public services (renewing a driving licence, obtaining a birth certificate, regularising a land title, applying for construction permits etc.) to be asked to present documents never mentioned before or listed anywhere, or to be sent through an endless succession of queues. Alternatively, as Coronado<ref>Coronado, G. 2008. ‘Discourses of Anti-Corruption in Mexico. Culture of Corruption or Corruption of Culture?’, PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, 5(1), http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/portal/article/view/479</ref> narrates, the public official can also play upon the possibility that the applicant’s documents may ‘get lost’ or the procedure could be ‘delayed’; it is not uncommon to ask for a ‘tip’ after the paperwork has been submitted, ‘ahí lo que quiera dar para la cooperación del juez’ (‘whatever you would like to give for the judge’s cooperation’). The overall effect of these patterns is to create a sense of unpredictability when citizens engage with state officials. Not surprisingly, in some cases, citizens resort to a ''mordida'' as a preemptive action just to avoid time-consuming procedures.

There are several reasons why the ''mordida'' is a pervasive practice in Mexico. Firstly, the ''mordida'' is widely viewed as necessary because of the perception that Mexican laws and regulations are so difficult to comply with that people feel they are left with no choice but to find an arrangement through extra-legal means<ref>Morris, S. D. 2003. ‘Corruption and Mexican Political Culture’, Journal of the Southwest, 45(4): 671–708.</ref>. Furthermore, excessive red tape is often exploited by unscrupulous bureaucrats, who arbitrarily come up with endless requirements to complete an administrative process. For instance, it is not uncommon for people seeking everyday public services (renewing a driving licence, obtaining a birth certificate, regularising a land title, applying for construction permits etc.) to be asked to present documents never mentioned before or listed anywhere, or to be sent through an endless succession of queues. Alternatively, as Coronado<ref>Coronado, G. 2008. ‘Discourses of Anti-Corruption in Mexico. Culture of Corruption or Corruption of Culture?’, PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, 5(1), http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/portal/article/view/479</ref> narrates, the public official can also play upon the possibility that the applicant’s documents may ‘get lost’ or the procedure could be ‘delayed’; it is not uncommon to ask for a ‘tip’ after the paperwork has been submitted, ‘ahí lo que quiera dar para la cooperación del juez’ (‘whatever you would like to give for the judge’s cooperation’). The overall effect of these patterns is to create a sense of unpredictability when citizens engage with state officials. Not surprisingly, in some cases, citizens resort to a ''mordida'' as a preemptive action just to avoid time-consuming procedures.

At the national level, there are several instruments that quantify the prevalence of the ''mordida'' in Mexico. One example is the Índice de Corrupción y Buen Gobierno published by Transparencia Mexicana, which ranks 35 public services according to the frequency of  households reporting to have used a ''mordida'' to obtain a service (Transparencia Mexicana 2011). Another available data source is the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP): it conducts surveys every other year, including questions on the prevalence of ''mordidas'' given to police officers and other public officers. The results are published the results in a searchable database.

At the national level, there are several instruments that quantify the prevalence of the ''mordida'' in Mexico. One example is the Índice de Corrupción y Buen Gobierno published by Transparencia Mexicana, which ranks 35 public services according to the frequency of  households reporting to have used a ''mordida'' to obtain a service (Transparencia Mexicana 2011). Another available data source is the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP): it conducts surveys every other year, including questions on the prevalence of ''mordidas'' given to police officers and other public officers. The results are published the results in a searchable database.