We put our vision for government into practice through learning partner projects that align with our values and help reimagine government so that it works for everyone.
In partnership with C Minds by PIDES, the Centre for Public Impact hosted a conversation in Mexico City to explore what legitimacy means today.
Some 14 attendees representing views from academia, international and national NGOs, industry, national and local government gathered to discuss whether Mexico is facing a crisis of legitimacy and what governments can do to address it.
Three key themes emerged from the discussion as key drivers of legitimacy
Three key themes emerged from the discussion as key drivers of legitimacy:
Communicating in a way people can understand
Participants highlighted that limited or insufficient communication about policy decisions creates a gap between governments and citizens, giving people the feeling of being left behind. As important as communicating information is communicating in a way that people understand. The Mexican government, for example, has invested significantly in an open data portal. However, for too many in the country this information is not accessible due to a lack of broadband or because they are not able to make sense of it.
Being committed to addressing tough challenges
Corruption and political nepotism are prominent features of Mexican politics. Attendees pointed out that new laws to address corruption were introduced, but remain meaningless due to the lack of an enforcement mechanism. There is a strong perception that elites work for each other, but not in the best interest s of the wider public, even at times of national emergencies. To regain trust, the government needs to first show a commitment to address these big challenges, participants said.
Addressing public scepticism
Participants also mentioned that the general sense of discontent leads to public cynicism and unwillingness to recognise any policy achievements of the government. Existing levels of corruption are perceived to block any positive change. Citizens are looking for large-scale transformation, for a new long-term vision for Mexico.
This conversation is the second out of six global conversations that CPI has organised as part of our #FindingLegitimacy project and in partnership with local Legitimacy Champions. Additional conversations will be held throughout October and November in Brussels, London, Canada, and India.
