Abstract

ORDONEZ, Joaquín. Citizen participation and government action: an indifference curve for public security in Mexico. Espiral (Guadalaj.) [online]. 2019, vol.26, n.76, pp.97-132. ISSN 1665-0565.  https://doi.org/10.32870/eees.v26i76.6791.

This work explores theoretically the relationship in Mexico between public security -as a dependent variable, and the instruments by which it is obtained: citizen participation and governmental action -as independent variables. Democratic concepts coto vedado (forbidden limits) and ámbito de negociación (negotiating area) are also considered. Two hypothetical scenarios are analyzed: one in which the state does not meet the objective of providing public safety, and a second one in which it does. Conclusion shows that the relationship between variables is different, since there is a curve of indifference in which the citizen sometimes gets the same satisfaction and loses interest in one instrument or another, because the utility that this could represent to him is the same in any case.

Keywords : Citizen participation; governmental action; public security; participatory democracy; curve of indifference.