Introduction: A Longue Durée View of the Process of Democratization in Mexico

Abstract

The past four decades have witnessed a transformation in the Mexican political system . From an authoritarian political system , ruled by a hegemonic party , it has become a more moderate, pluralist one, marked by electoral competition between contestant parties. This Introduction offers a new theoretical framework to analyze this transformation. Drawing on the classical work of Charles Tilly , Joseph Schumpeter , Adam Przeworski , Maurice Duverger , and V.O. Key, among others, it sets up a dialogue with other salient scholars, in order to understand political change in Mexico. I argue that the fight for clean and fair elections in Mexico has a long history of contestation and conflict, entailing at once movements toward democracy , yet also processes of de-democratization . Indeed, this book focuses on presidential elections in order to elucidate whether these have been obstacles or accelerators in the process of democratization.