Public Policies within Mexico´S Fourth Transformation (4T) and Their Communication Strategies: Influence on University Citizenship (Mexico, 2018–2024)

Abstract

With unprecedented popular support, Andrés Manuel López Obrador's rise to power as president of Mexico brought with it a vision of national transformation known as the "Fourth Transformation" (4T), which would renew the country by ending corruption and impunity, implementing financial austerity, abolishing neoliberalism, and prioritizing the poor. This research analyzes the influence of political discourse and outcomes on university students, offering a comprehensive view of the political phenomenon with an emphasis on its narrative, political strategies and links with media and society, leading to widespread citizen acceptance. Drawing on political science, communication, and populism, it provides an analysis of the transformation influenced by a polarizing leader who left indelible marks on Mexican history through communication strategies and public policies implemented in social programs to reach citizens. It uses a mixed methodology to recover personal and family perceptions of students from the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo about the political phenomenon. It provides a context for the communication process and populism as a line of research, offering tools for understanding the link between political discourse, citizen perception, and the transformation experienced. The results obtained will be useful for future research, providing political scientists, communicators, political analysts, and public policymakers, as well as young higher education students, with information and methodologies to deepen their understanding of the work of government administration.