Mexico's Democratic Challenges: Politics, Government, and Society / Edition 1

by Andrew Selee, Jacqueline Peschard

Overview

Only a decade ago, Mexico saw the end of seventy years of single-party hegemonic rule and the first free and fair election in its history. How has the country evolved since then, and what is the status of its democracy today? In this comprehensive new collection intended for use in undergraduate courses a group of distinguished scholars examines recent political developments in Mexico—including its 2006 election and the breakdown in consensus that nearly resulted—in order to assess the progress of its democratization. Focusing on transformations in Mexico's evolving political party system, institutions in transition, and the changing nature of state-society relations, contributors to this book discuss the challenges that Mexican democracy faces today as well as the potential it has for further change in the near future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804771627
Publisher:	Stanford University Press
Publication date:	05/01/2010
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Andrew Selee is Director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center and an adjunct professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. Jacqueline Peschard is a Citizen Counselor of Mexico's Federal Institute for Access to Information.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures ix

Foreword José Woldenberg xiii

1 Mexico's Democratic Challenges Andrew Selee Jacqueline Peschard 1

Part I The Evolving Political System

2 Citizens' Values and Beliefs toward Politics: Is Democracy Growing Attitudinal Roots? Alejandro Moreno 29

3 The Restructuring of the Party System in the Wake of the 2006 Elections Jean-François Prud'homme 50

4 Federal and Local Electoral Institutions: From a National to a Fragmented System Jacqueline Peschard 68

5 The 2006 Elections: Democratization and Social Protest John M. Ackerman 92

Part II Institutions in Transition?

6 Executive-Legislative Relations: Continuity or Change? María Amparo Casar 117

7 Transparency Reforms: Theory and Practice Jonathan Fox Libby Haight 135

8 Reforming Civil-Military Relations during Democratization Raúl Benítez Manaut 162

9 Federalism and the Reform of Political Power Tonatiuh Guillén López 187

10 The Justice System, 2000-2007 José Ramón Cossío Díaz 203

Part III The Changing Nature of State-Society Relations

11 Taming the Diaspora: Migrants and the State, 1986-2006 David R. Ayón 231

12 Struggle and Resistance: The Nation's Indians in Transition Rodolfo Stavenhagen 251

13 The Role of Civil Society Mariclaire Acosta 268

14 Churches, Believers, and Democracy Roberto Blancarte 281

15 Democratic Antipoetry Jesús Silva-Herzog Márquez 296

Contributors 307

Index 313

Editorial Reviews

"Selee and Peschard's interesting and thoughtful Mexico's Democratic Challenges contains several chapters about 'institutions in transition'. The overall picture that emerges is that of a multiplocation of political and institutional actors, an 'autonomization' of their role and influence, and hence of increasing political and administrative complexity, sometimes bordering on new forms of fragmentation, instability and insecurity, not particularly conducive to improving the quality of democracy."

European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies - Wil Pansters

"The value of this edited collection is that it brings the reader up to date on the numerous political and institutional reforms that have occurred since Mexico's formal transition to democracy in 2000. As such, it offers the longest view yet on the underpinnings of this country's democratization process."

Universityof Southern California - Carol Wise

"Selee and Peschard's interesting and thoughtful Mexico's Democratic Challenges contains several chapters about 'institutions in transition'. The overall picture that emerges is that of a multiplocation of political and institutional actors, an 'autonomization' of their role and influence, and hence of increasing political and administrative complexity, sometimes bordering on new forms of fragmentation, instability and insecurity, not particularly conducive to improving the quality of democracy."—Wil Pansters, European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

"This is a very important book that fills a gap in our knowledge regarding recent political change in Mexico, particularly with regard to the 2006 presidential elections and their aftermath. It broadens our understanding of democracy in Mexico beyond the electoral arena and identifies some of the main challenges for defending and expanding democratic rights."—Neil Harvey, New Mexico State University

"The value of this edited collection is that it brings the reader up to date on the numerous political and institutional reforms that have occurred since Mexico's formal transition to democracy in 2000. As such, it offers the longest view yet on the underpinnings of this country's democratization process."—Carol Wise, University of Southern California

From the Publisher

"This is a very important book that fills a gap in our knowledge regarding recent political change in Mexico, particularly with regard to the 2006 presidential elections and their aftermath. It broadens our understanding of democracy in Mexico beyond the electoral arena and identifies some of the main challenges for defending and expanding democratic rights."

New Mexico State University - Neil Harvey