Economía teoría y práctica

Presentación

G. Alenka Guzmán Chávez — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:23:13 -0600

Letter from the Director

G. Alenka Guzmán Chávez — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:28:45 -0600

Taxes on the Consumption of Alcohol Beverages. Ineffectiveness of the alcohol Tax in Mexico. New evidence

Luis Antonio Foncerrada Pascal, Anabel Rodríguez Quintero, Joaquín Sánchez Gómez — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:31:20 -0600

Excise taxes on alcoholic beverages are applied according to two basic principles: Ad valorem and
ad quantum. In Mexico, the Special Tax on Production and Services is an ad valorem tax with different
quotas according to alcoholic content, combining both principles. However, under this system,
lower-quality beverages with a high alcohol content are among the cheapest on the market, which
demonstrates the tax’s failure to achieve its objective. This study tests the modification of the ad
valorem system and first-hand collection to measure government revenue and the regressive effects
of the tax. Our findings suggest that our proposal would significantly increase tax revenue, thus meeting
the objective of the excise tax to provide social benefits and reduce illegal trade. Furthermore, we
demonstrate that the distribution of the tax burden is progressive; it is distributed disproportionately
among higher income groups. This does not include the additional reduction in health problems, from
which lower income groups benefit disproportionately.

Impact and progressivity of redistributive social programmes in Mexico. An analysis by state, 2016-2022

Marco Antonio Pérez-Méndez — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

As in other countries, the aim in Mexico is to combat poverty and inequality through income redistribution policies. In recent years, an increase in the number of transfers has been observed, indicating a
paradigm shift. In this study, we analyze whether this shift has led to a decrease in poverty and inequality in Mexico between 2016 and 2022. Using microsimulation models and progressivity analysis, we
propose an alternative methodology for evaluating the impact of redistributive public policy in Mexico.
Microsimulation scenarios demonstrate that despite the increase in funds redistributed, the policies are
not progressive and are failing to reduce poverty to the extent they could.

The partial equilibrium model of the economic theory of crime: Effects of inequality on crime incidence

Rene Leticia Lozano Cortés, Adrián Isaías Tun González — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

The aim of this paper is to present the results of a systematic review of the literature on the economic
theory of crime, specifically those studies that have led to the development of a partial equilibrium
model of the crime market, where inequality plays a relevant role in the decisions to commit a crime.
After analyzing the theoretical and empirical contributions of research studying the factors favoring
the incidence of crime from an economics of crime perspective —emphasizing economic incentives
favoring criminality, as well as probabilities of not being apprehended or punished— the analysis
incorporates ideas about equality of opportunity in income distribution. One of the main findings of
this study is that the relationship between income inequality and crime incidence is non-linear, contrary to traditional theory which assumes a positive relationship. Furthermore, the available empirical literature provides inconclusive evidence of a stable and positive relationship between crime and
income inequality.

Identification of technological capabilities based on patents. The case of Nemak

Rubén Oliver Espinoza — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Based on the International Patent Classification (ipc), indicators of network centrality (degree, eigenvector centrality and intermediation) are developed for a global company in the Mexican automotive
industry. It has been verified that these indicators can be organized into main components, which can
then be clustered to identify and classify the most relevant technological areas of inventive activity
within the company. This provides empirical evidence of the company’s innovative activity and contributes to the literature on technological capabilities at a company level in Mexico, particularly within the
automotive industry. Relevant areas identified include the development of casting technologies (moulding), the modification of the physical structure of non-ferrous metals and alloys, the engineering of
combustion machine components (cylinders, pistons and casings), the sealing of combustion machines
and the casting of metals and other substances.

Intellectual Property, Foreign Trade and Technology Flows in Mexico’s Automotive Sector (1990-2022)

Alexis Josué Vargas Ortega, Manuel Soria López, Manuel García Álvarez — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

NAFTA promised economic and technological improvement for the three nations involved. In Mexico,
it increased the value of automotive exports, which were the most valuable of all Mexican exports.
Meanwhile, the intellectual property provisions boosted patenting. To observe the productive and
technological effects of nafta on the automotive sector, the methodology uses a dendrogram
and component analysis based on export and import values, and the patents for different vehicle
parts (1990-2022). The findings suggest commercial and economic success. However, despite an
increase in the flow of patents from foreign companies, there has been no spillover or absorption
of knowledge by the domestic technological production sector. In summary, the intellectual property
arrangement contributed more to commercial growth than to endogenous technological development.

Working hours and subjective well-being in Mexico, is there a balance?

Jorge Heriberto Chávez Rosales, David Castro-Lugo — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

This article examines the relationship between working hours and the subjective well-being of Mexicans, considering gender and type of employment. To this end, a work-life balance approach is
employed. An ordered logistic model is estimated using information from the 2019 National Time Use
Survey. The results suggest that workdays exceeding 48 hours reduce the likelihood of higher satisfaction, with a stronger correlation observed among women. This negative relationship is significant for
both formal and informal employees, but not for the self-employed. Working fewer hours (1-28 hours)
has a positive effect on the well-being of women and formal employees; however, it has a negative effect
on men and is not significant in the well-being reports of informal and self-employed individuals.
The highest level of well-being is achieved through working a formal job of between 29 and 40 hours
per week, provided income is maintained.

Female Telework During the Pandemic. An Analysis of the U.S. Labor Market

Humberto Merritt — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 22:25:50 -0600

This paper analyses the evolution of female teleworking (TT) in the United States (US) during the pandemic caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus. The aim is to identify the teleworking patterns of US women by
answering the following research question: To what extent did female telework differ from male telework in the US during the pandemic? Examining monthly employment data obtained from the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (CPS), significant differences in the proportion of
women working from home during the pandemic were identified. The results showed that the health
crisis accelerated the adoption of tt in the US, especially among women, due to two factors: 1) addressing the spread of the pandemic, and 2) facilitating remote employment. This study makes an original
contribution by examining the effect of the pandemic on tt adoption from a gender perspective. Evidence suggests that tt was short-lived in the US, although younger women were more likely to work
remotely compared to their older female colleagues.