The termination of public policies and organizations. The case of the extinction of Luz y Fuerza del Centro in Mexico

Abstract

This research analyzes the models and strategies used during the process of termination of public policies, topic that has been poorly studied so far. For this purpose, it has been decided to use an instrumental case of study: the extinction of Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) in Mexico, to determine an analysis framework through patterns of termination. The theoretical frameworks about termination of public policies and organizations in literature are well appropriated to explain the process of extinction of LyFC. It stands out the figure of the “terminator”, the compensation beyond the terms under normal conditions to all the affected by the policy, the media discrediting the opposition, the surprise element, the noninterference of the legislative, the creation of organizational divisions, the clarity of the following steps, and a clear strategy for the implementation of the termination plan. The model exceptions were the surprising use of the public force to take the LyFC installations, as the freezing of the LyFC union bank accounts due to the lack of “note record” and the collaboration of an adverse group to the LyFC union. Another meaningful learning is that it should be prevail the ethic in an exercise of the public function as in the interventions of the termination of the public policies and organizations, because the termination should not only be approached from a technical point of view but also from the understanding of the permanent human impact.