Contemporary Mexican Politics

by Emily Edmonds-Poli, David A. Shirk

Overview

This widely acclaimed book provides a comprehensive analysis of Mexico's current, complex political landscape, up to the López Obrador administration and Claudia Sheinbaum's 2024 election.

Leading experts Emily Edmonds-Poli and David A. Shirk offer highly accessible coverage of Mexico's political development over the course of the twentieth century and an insightful examination of some of the most important policy issues facing Mexico in the twenty-first century. Additions to this new edition include:

- Fully updated material on the López Obrador administration, including institutional reforms, expansion of social welfare programs, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Complete coverage of the 2024 electoral processes and a detailed overview of the first year of Claudia Sheinbaum's administration
- An updated look at Mexico's persistent security challenges
- An examination of US-Mexico relations under the Biden and Trump administrations
- A detailed look at Mexico's economic progress

The first half of the book provides an overview of Mexican history and political development, from the pre-Columbian era to the present. These chapters focus especially on the formation of the modern Mexican political system, with particular emphasis on the 71-period of post-revolutionary single-party rule, the period of multiparty competition, and the political dominance of the MORENA party. The second half of the book analyzes the structure of Mexican governance and the most pressing policy issues currently facing Mexican society, including macroeconomic growth and stability, poverty and inequality, the development of civil society, drug trafficking, the rule of law, and foreign relations. This volume offers students, scholars, and policymakers a nuanced analysis of Mexico's political development, with special emphasis on current policy challenges in the areas of

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798881803131
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/14/2026
Edition description:	5th ed.
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.11(d)

About the Author

Emily Edmonds-Poli is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of San Diego, USA.

David A. Shirk is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of San Diego, USA.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii

Preface xi

List of Abbreviations xv

Introduction 1

Part I Mexican Political Development

1 Mexico's Historical Foundations 7

2 The Mexican Revolution and Its Legacy 33

3 Postrevolutionary Mexican Politics, 1940-1968 55

4 Mexican Democratization, 1968 to the Present 79

Part II Political Institutions, Culture, and Society

5 Government Structure and Processes 105

6 Political Parties and Elections in Mexico 127

7 Mexican Political Culture 157

8 Mexican Civil Society 175

Part III Key Domestic Policy Issues

9 Mexico's Political Economy 203

10 Poverty, Inequality, and Social Welfare Policy 227

11 The Rule of Law in Mexico 253

Part IV Mexican Foreign Relations

12 Mexican Foreign Policy 275

13 U.S.-Mexico Relations 293

Conclusion 321

Notes 329

Index 363

About the Authors 379

Editorial Reviews

David Shirk and Emily Edmonds-Poli superbly update their essential Contemporary Mexican Politics. The new edition adds valuable insights through early 2025 covering the Lopez Obrador administration and challenges faced by his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum. Building on excellent historical analysis, this edition adds outstanding examination of recent Mexican politics, the rule of law, and Mexico's international roles, including essential ties with the United States. The book is a tremendous asset for understanding Mexico's key place in today's world and for the U.S.” —Earl Anthony Wayne, former Ambassador, Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, American University

From the Publisher

This is the best current book in English to analyze and understand the institutions, politics, economics, and social development of contemporary Mexico. I highly recommend this as the text for any course on Mexican politics or policy at the undergraduate or graduate levels.

Jorge A. Schiavon

Contemporary Mexican Politics is simply the best overview available in English to understand Mexico’s politics and society today. The volume is accessible yet thorough; up-to-date yet historically grounded. It’s the perfect introduction to understanding Mexico today—and also the historical forces that shaped today’s realities.

Andrew Selee

Edmonds-Poli and Shirk have crafted a fourth edition of this essential text on Mexican politics that brings us into the present and clearly identifies the key institutional and policy challenges faced by the AMLO administration. With firm foundations in history, the authors have expertly identified the most important patterns and trends in modern Mexican politics. This book should be required reading for all students of Mexican and Latin American politics.

Duncan Wood

This third edition of Contemporary Mexican Politics traces Mexico's history from pre-Columbian times to Spanish colonial rule, independence, US conquests of Mexican territory, the Mexican Revolution, and a slow transition to current democratic government. Considerable focus is on the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the party that became the embodiment of the 1910 Mexican Revolution and governed through co-opting opposition forces and repression, under the facade of a democracy. Edmonds-Poli and Shirk describe how economic crisis and government corruption cost the PRI public support, leading it to allow free elections and victory for the opposition National Action Party in 2000. When the PRI regained power in 2012, it signed the Pact for Mexico with the other two major parties in a spirit of cooperation. The authors, nonetheless, cite a 2014 study revealing that only one in five Mexicans was satisfied with the political and economic situation. Continued corruption and violence—greatly related to drug trafficking—and a huge gap between rich and poor tarnish the democratic system. However, the authors express some admiration, saying that ‘Mexico's ability to move, in one generation, from a single-party-dominant system to one with vibrant competition is remarkable.’ Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate and graduate collections.

CHOICE

Now in its second decade of a complex transition to democracy, Mexico confronts significant challenges to achieve economic growth with equity, along with rule of law. With a well-considered selection of topics, this current, concise, clearly written introduction to the government and politics of Mexico serves as both a comparative politics text as well as a reference guide for the interested public.

John Bailey

This third edition of Contemporary Mexican Politics traces Mexico's history from pre-Columbian times to Spanish colonial rule, independence, US conquests of Mexican territory, the Mexican Revolution, and a slow transition to current democratic government. Considerable focus is on the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the party that became the embodiment of the 1910 Mexican Revolution and governed through co-opting opposition forces and repression, under the facade of a democracy. Edmonds-Poli and Shirk describe how economic crisis and government corruption cost the PRI public support, leading it to allow free elections and victory for the opposition National Action Party in 2000. When the PRI regained power in 2012, it signed the Pact for Mexico with the other two major parties in a spirit of cooperation. The authors, nonetheless, cite a 2014 study revealing that only one in five Mexicans was satisfied with the political and economic situation. Continued corruption and violence—greatly related to drug trafficking—and a huge gap between rich and poor tarnish the democratic system. However, the authors express some admiration, saying that ‘Mexico's ability to move, in one generation, from a single-party-dominant system to one with vibrant competition is remarkable.’ Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate and graduate collections.

Choice

Contemporary Mexican Politics offers a serious and systematic accounting of one of the world's most complex and interesting governing systems. . . . The autocracy of the PRI ultimately gave way in 2000 to a full multi-party state which had been gestating for the previous decade. Edmonds-Poli and Shirk offer illuminating insights into both the one party state and its democratic heir in this valuable volume.

Jeffrey Davidow

Edmonds-Poli and Shirk do a masterful job of making the Mexican political system—one of the most complex in the developing world—comprehensible to students. The authors succeed in demonstrating both how far Mexico has come and how much remains to be done to consolidate its nascent democracy, making this an ideal text for both Mexico-focused courses and broader surveys of Latin American politics.

Wayne A. Cornelius

Edmonds-Poli and Shirk have produced a masterful survey of Mexican politics. Their work is comprehensive in scope, sensitive to long-term historical change, and very insightful concerning the diverse political, social, and foreign policy challenges facing contemporary Mexico. The book will undoubtedly attract a broad readership.

Kevin J. Middlebrook

Contemporary Mexican Politics does an excellent job of laying out the foundations of the Mexican political system, leaving little of relevance out of the picture. For students of comparative politics, it is an excellent entry-level volume, which elegantly brings together the complex intricacies of one of the world’s most unique political systems. . . . For everyone else with an interest in Mexican history, politics or current affairs, a recommendation is no less valid.

International Affairs

Contemporary Mexican Politics does an excellent job of laying out the foundations of the Mexican political system, leaving little of relevance out of the picture. For students of comparative politics, it is an excellent entry-level volume, which elegantly brings together the complex intricacies of one of the world’s most unique political systems. . . . For everyone else with an interest in Mexican history, politics or current affairs, a recommendation is no less valid.

November 2009 International Affairs

Edmonds-Poli and Shirk have crafted a stellar book on Mexican politics. This is a must read for students of Mexican politics and policy makers. The authors clearly achieve their goal of providing a thorough discussion of Mexico's political development and, in the process, explain the country's democratic transition and evaluate its prospects for survival. . . . This book is well cited, accessible, and engaging. . . . This is an excellent book on contemporary Mexican politics. Highly recommended.

December 2009 CHOICE