Discretion of public appointments in Mexico

A review of organizational arrangements in subnational appointments

Bibliographic Data

ID11557014
AuthorsCristian González (0000-0001-9975-5267, University of Erfurt, corresponding author), Calep Pimienta Gonzalez (0009-0004-3131-0682, University of Erfurt)
Year2025
Volume91
Issue4
Pages579-597
Publication date2025-10-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Review of Administrative Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-8523 • E-ISSN: 1461-7226
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00208523251358592
OpenAlexW4414856698
LanguageEN
References cited31

Public appointments (PAs) are tools with the potential to transform and legitimize institutions. They can promote governance based on integrity and fairness yet may be subject to patronage due to high discretion vested in appointing authorities. The literature on this topic in Latin America is limited, with little focus on the subnational level. Democratic theories assessing appointment effects on legitimacy and trust in public institutions are lacking. Recent research has deepened the effect of organizational arrangements (OAs) as key procedural mechanisms to constrain discretion. However, their measurement remains unresolved. This study develops an instrument to measure the quality of OAs in PAs called the Evaluation System of Organizational Arrangements, aiming to understand the influence of OAs on the perceived outcome of 24 subnational PAs in Mexico. A documentary review of official documentation and cross-case analysis showed that the inexistence or low quality of OAs increases PAs’ discretionality, affecting governance perception and leading to patronage or hybrid outcomes. Local stakeholder engagement and digital innovation were the most relevant factors influencing perceived outcomes, followed by transparency and independent scrutiny. The analysis of perceived outcomes allowed us to characterize governance, hybrid and patronage appointments. These findings open new research pathways on the specific conditions that enable governance PAs

Local Government Finance and Decentralization · Public Policy and Administration Research · Regulation and Compliance Studies

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