Influence of Interest Group Affiliations on Legislative Performance: An Analysis of Mexican Legislators From 2006 to 2018

ABSTRACT This study examines whether deputies with backgrounds in interest groups, such as business associations and labor unions, promote bills favorable to their groups and if their backgrounds affect their effectiveness in Mexico's Chamber of Deputies. Using a database of 13,953 bills introduced between 2006 and 2018, random logit models were employed to analyze the relationship between legislators' backgrounds in interest groups and their success rates in passing bills. We find that personal connections to interest groups can significantly impact the types of issues they promote and legislative performance, with legislators having ties to interest groups being more successful in promoting bills related to their group's background.