The Challenges of State Creation and Democratization in Mexico

Abstract

In the annals of Spanish American history, Mexico’s history is unique. Though during the nineteenth century Mexico was afflicted by many of the challenges that tormented its counterparts throughout Central and South America, during the twentieth century it experienced a political transformation unlike that of any other Spanish American state. This chapter explains why Mexico’s political experience was so distinctive. Specifically, this chapter: 1. isolates the conditions that affected Mexico’s processes of state creation and political regime formation from 1824 to the present 2. explains what enabled one political party to govern uninterruptedly from the late 1920s until 2000 without experiencing a single military coup 3. identifies the conditions that forced the hegemonic political party to open the political system, and 4. explicates why the political system has been faltering after it became democratic in 2000