The Democratization Process in Mexico and Presidential Elections. Toward a Typology of Presidential Elections

Abstract

This chapter argues that democratization in Mexico occurred principally on account of internal political forces. This is to say, democratization in Mexico needs to be understood as a process of contention and mobilization in which the opposition, political parties, and other struggles have played a key role. While “contention” stresses the importance of political parties that pushed the governing elites into a democratic electoral process , “mobilization” emphasizes the struggles of workers, peasants , and student movements that confronted the authoritarian state, leading up to the formation of opposition political parties. I suggest that the democratization of Mexico is usefully approached as a political process enabled by opportunities that materialize in the competition that marks elections. Here, electoral results maintain or change political cleavages . Based on the work of V. O. Key and Gerald Pomper, the chapter develops a typology to classify presidential elections in Mexico.