Mexico Mexico is located in North America and shares its northern border with the United States. The country covers 756,000 square miles and is rich with petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, and timber. Mexico is a rapidly emerging country. The population, growing at more than 1 percent annually, consists of more than 125 million people, 40 percent of whom are under 24 years old. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, and Spanish is the native language.73 With a GDP of US$1.21 trillion in 2018, the country has consistently recorded strong annual growth. In the past two decades, Mexico has been able to raise its GDP per capita to US$9,723. Inflation hovers around 5 percent and unemployment around 4 percent. As a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico's economy is tightly integrated to the United States, and its performance and growth tend to follow those of its larger neighbor to the north.74 Mexico is not without some issues common to other emerging industrialized nations. The country suffers from significant pollution issues, corruption from drug cartels, and a lack of competition in its markets. The government has made concerted efforts to tackle these issues, with some degree of success. Additionally, the legal system has undergone a shift to curb the perception of corruption in its courts. More notably, former President Enrique Pena Nieto went so far as to make constitutional reforms in the areas of education, energy, and telecommunications. Under the new policies, the government acts as a regulatory agency that focuses on antitrust issues and seeks advice from a nonprofit, third party about how to most efficiently manage the telecom industry to reform its previous, monopolistic struc-ture.75,76 As a result of these reforms, consumer prices for mobile calls have been cut in half, and connection to the Internet has become commonplace.77 Similarly, the government is actively breaking oil monopolies and working to open oil exploration rights to foreign investors. This structural change means that oil companies from all over the world will have the option of investing in Mexico's oil industry for the first time since 1938, when the government created its state-owned monopoly. The country has already begun auctioning exploration reserves in the Gulf of Mexico region. This reform also creates new competition in the electricity industry.78 You Be the International Management Consultant The National Football League (NFL) has gained attention by its announced goal of making "American" football a global sport. The NFL has hosted games in London, Toronto, and Mexico in the past. Additionally, London now hosts two games per year, and there has been serious consideration regarding moving a franchise there. Over a decade ago, in 2005, the NFL hosted a game in Mexico City that drew 103,000 fans. In recent years, the league has agreed to return to Mexico with a least one regular-season game per year; however, field conditions led to the cancellation of the game in the 2018 season. Still, NFL management remains optimistic that it can grow its appeal in Mexico. "Expanding our International Series of regular-season games to Mexico marks an important step in our continued international growth," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press conference ahead of the 2016 Super Bowl. "We have a tremendous, passionate fan base in Mexico, and we know the atmosphere on game day will be outstanding." Mexico appears fit for a new franchise due to its close proximity to major U.S. cities, similar time zones, additional television broadcasting options, and an enthusiastic fan base.79,80 Questions 1.If you worked as a consultant for the NFL, would you recommend to the league commissioner that the number of annual games played in Mexico be increased? What about starting a new franchise in Mexico City? 2.What aspects of the country would be cause for concern? 3.Does Mexico's history of state regulation over telecommunications and energy affect your decision for growth through television? What other concerns might you have