Public investment in Mexico"s North Pacific

Mexico was chosen as a case study, with particular interest in the North Pacific region. The principal focus is on public investment in water delivery and removal systems. The thesis examines relevant institutional arrangements behind Mexican public investment in water delivery and removal systems; the role the resultant expanded agricultural system plays in overall economic growth and development; the structural effects of such investment, and the theoretical implications of investment strategies. A theoretical framework for public investment is first established to provide a background for the remainder of the thesis. The next topic is the growth in Mexican agricultural output, and the role of the agricultural sector in an expanding economy. The relevant institutional arrangements and political forces which influenced the sectoral and regional distribution of public funds for water delivery and removal systems are examined next. Then the North Pacific region and the remainder of Mexico are compared with respect to investment in water delivery and removal systems and with respect to differences in the structure of agriculture. Finally, the regional distribution of this investment is evaluated in terms of the theoretical framework established earlier.