Mexico moved from an almost closed-to-trade economy to a very open economy and one of the least guided by public sector forces. However, the presence of wide disparities in social development and economic growth across the Mexican states may be an obstacle to the further integration of the national economy to the global economy. In this context, the main focus of Mexican public policies has been growth at the national level, while regional policies are merely national policies with territorial implications. This book studies factors that may affect the regional pattern of growth and contribute to the debate around the need for regional polices in Mexico. The aim of this book is to examine for Mexico the regional distribution of, and effects on regional growth of, three of the main factors that have been highlighted in the standard economic literature on growth: public investment, human capital, and science and technology, and how they can be fit into a regional policy to foster development.

The sister cities of the southwestern United States border are challenged by widespread environmental and health issues and limited access to help. And while different initiatives have been set up to improve health outcomes and lessen inequities in the border region, evaluation data are scarce. Culture and Health Disparities provides a perspective on U.S.-Mexico border health with an evidence-based guide for conceptualizing, implementing, and evaluating health interventions. Taking into account the unique qualities of border life and their influence on general wellbeing, this important volume offers detailed criteria for creating public health programs that are medically, culturally, and ethically sound. The book identifies gaps in intervention research on major health concerns in the area, relating them to disparity-reduction efforts in the rest of the U.S. and arguing for more relevant means of data gathering and analysis. The author also asserts that progress can be made on both sides of the border despite concurrent social and political problems in the region. Included in the coverage: The border region as a social system. The development of health disparities: a life-course model. A social systems approach to understanding health disparities. A critique of U.S.-Mexico border health interventions. Evaluating interventions to reduce healthcare disparities. Ethical issues in health interventions across cultures and contexts. A text for researchers and practitioners working to promote border health and reduce service inequalities, Culture and Health Disparities asks pertinent questions and provides workable, meaningful answers.

The report provides a comprehensive picture on the territorial differences in many well-being dimensions across Mexican states.

Hispanics and the Future of America presents details of the complex story of a population that varies in many dimensions, including national origin, immigration status, and generation. The papers in this volume draw on a wide variety of data sources to describe the contours of this population, from the perspectives of history, demography, geography, education, family, employment, economic well-being, health, and political engagement. They provide a rich source of information for researchers, policy makers, and others who want to better understand the fast-growing and diverse population that we call "Hispanic." The current period is a critical one for getting a better understanding of how Hispanics are being shaped by the U.S. experience. This will, in turn, affect the United States and the contours of the Hispanic future remain uncertain. The uncertainties include such issues as whether Hispanics, especially immigrants, improve their educational attainment and fluency in English and thereby improve their economic position; whether growing numbers of foreign-born Hispanics become citizens and achieve empowerment at the ballot box and through elected office; whether impending health problems are successfully averted; and whether Hispanics' geographic dispersal accelerates their spatial and social integration. The papers in this volume provide invaluable information to explore these issues.

Mexico and the United States may be neighbors, but their economies offer stark contrasts. In Mexico’s Uneven Development: The Geographical and Historical Context of Inequality, Oscar J. Martínez explores Mexico’s history to explain why Mexico remains less developed than the United States. Weaving in stories from his own experiences growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border, Martínez shows how the foundational factors of external relations, the natural environment, the structures of production and governance, natural resources, and population dynamics have all played roles in shaping the Mexican economy. This interesting and thought-provoking study clearly and convincingly explains the issues that affect Mexico's underdevelopment. It will prove invaluable to anyone studying Mexico’s past or interested in its future.

Local circumstances affect individual well-being, the cohesiveness of societies and opportunities for a better future. With the How's Life in Your Region project, a part of the Better Life Initiative, the OECD launched in 2014 an innovative approach to measuring the quality of life at regional and local levels and understanding what needs to be done to achieve greater progress for all. Well-being indicators are a powerful instrument for helping governments identify where improvements are needed, prioritise areas for public intervention, and, ultimately, build trust in the ability of governments to bring change and improve people's lives. Mexico is the first country to have used the OECD Regional Well-Being Framework to develop objective and subjective indicators for twelve dimensions covering materialconditions and quality of life for the 31 Mexican states and the Federal District. This report provides evidence on well-being trends and drivers, disparities across states, and specific snapshots for each Mexican state. It uses the twelve well-being dimensions and 35 indicators chosen by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico(INEGI) in consultation with state representatives and other federal agencies. The report offers a useful basis for better understanding local assets and constraints for regional development in Mexico. It also discusses how this data can help shape the policy debate and reformulate local and national policies.