The Teaching of Public Finance and Budgeting as an Indicator of the Quality of Public Service Education in Mexico

Are public policy programs in Mexico ensuring students receive the correct public finance and budgeting training to cut corruption, corporatism and other plaguing elements? Are these programs also teaching public financial management to ensure results and responsiveness for our future government officials? Are we creating more integrative and ethical public financial managers with the appropriate knowledge of public financial systems? In order to address these questions, this study compiled general and curricular information of 68 master's programs in public administration across the 32 states in Mexico, covering a total of 1,138 courses. To conduct the analysis, this article identifies five complementary lenses for evaluating and teaching public finance and budgeting. The authors argue that, although nearly all Masters in Public Policy and Public Administration programs in Mexico teach public finance, there is a wide variation in the lenses, tools and techniques used across these programs. Furthermore, the scope of this curricular component is not sufficient to face the challenges of the country and its regions, nor to address the diverse social needs, local contexts, and government institutions, and labor market for public employees.