Read the original research article here:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/poi3.413
cited as: Cifuentes‐Faura, J. (2025). Shedding light on transparency: A comprehensive study of state‐level transparency portals in Mexico. Policy & Internet, 17(1), e413.
Author:
Javier Cifuentes-Faura, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Murcia, Spain
Editor:
Wenjia Tang, Media and Communications, University of Sydney, Australia
When people talk about government transparency, the focus often stays on laws and public promises. But in reality, transparency succeeds or fails in the spaces citizens actually use. For government websites, transparency portals are where budgets, contracts, and public data are supposed to become visible, usable, and meaningful. This post introduces a research paper that examines how transparency functions across Mexico’s 32 states. More importantly, it asks why some state governments are far more transparent online than others.
This question is especially relevant today. Public trust in institutions is under strain. Economic uncertainty remains high. Citizens increasingly want to know how public money is being spent. Mexico has invested heavily in transparency laws and digital portals. It also publishes an annual ranking of state transparency websites. Even so, the outcomes differ significantly. Some portals are detailed, accessible, and regularly updated. Others technically comply with legal requirements but provide limited meaningful information.
Using panel data from 2015 to 2020, the paper analyses which economic and political factors explain these differences. The results challenge common assumptions. Political ideology, for example, plays a much smaller role than expected. Whether a government holds a legislative majority also appears less important. Instead, economic conditions emerge as central.
One notable finding is that states with higher levels of public debt tend to demonstrate greater transparency. At first glance, this seems counterintuitive. However, when governments borrow more, they face increased pressure from creditors, oversight institutions, and citizens. They must justify financial decisions and disclose more information. In this context, public debt can encourage greater openness.
Fiscal effort is another important factor. States that collect more of their own revenue relative to the size of their economy are generally more transparent. When citizens contribute more through taxes, expectations increase. Governments appear more willing to explain how public resources are allocated. Transparency becomes part of maintaining political legitimacy.
By contrast, high unemployment and strong dependence on federal transfers are associated with lower levels of transparency. Economic stress can weaken administrative capacity. It can also shift priorities away from openness. Similarly, when governments rely more on external transfers than on local taxpayers, incentives for accountability may decline. The connection between citizens and public finances becomes less direct.
For policymakers and practitioners, the implications are clear. Transparency is not only a technical matter or a question of legal compliance. It is closely linked to economic governance. Strengthening transparency portals requires sustained investment, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Open data initiatives should be treated as essential components of accountability and trust-building, not as optional additions.
For the broader public, the study clarifies why some governments are easier to scrutinize than others. It also shows why transparency must be defended, especially when economic conditions make it more difficult to sustain. If transparency is intended to reinforce democracy, it must function where citizens actually engage with the state: online, in real time, and in ways that are genuinely usable.
Know more about our author:
Dr Javier Cifuentes-Faura is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Murcia, Spain. His lines of research include those related to public administration and economics, transparency and accountability, business, sustainability and green economics. He has participated in several international conferences, being invited to some of them as keynote speaker. He is editor of journals indexed in SSCI. He has been included in the prestigious ranking of the University of Standford as one of the most influential researchers worldwide (Top 2% Scientists Worldwide).