Mexico: Economic Reform and Political Change (original) (raw)

Mexico : the political consequences of economic restructuring

1989

The 1988 Mexican elections appeared to signal a transition in Mexican politics away from one party rule and toward an open system. This thesis attempts to identify the underlying economic causes of this trend and its likely future course. To analyze Mexican politics, the research included books with background information and contemporary periodical articles to ensure timeliness. The thesis is organized chronologically beginning in the 1970's and devotes considerable space to the emerging role of opposition groups and the likely course of future events. It was discovered that the opening of the political system is tied to two major variables-economic policy and the emerging need for political alternatives. These two factors coincide to reduce the legitimacy of the ruling party and government. As a result, the. government has been forced to open the system to retain some credibility. The conclusion. attempts to predict the future course of events. Mexico is heading toward an open political system but will arrive there only after further economic pains and possibly some social unrest. The future of the economic and political system are much brighter than at any time in the past twenty years. .

20 years of crisis in Mexico, 1968-1988

1991

This thesis is devoted to analyzing the political transition that Mexico experienced from 1968 to 1988, through three sources of information; historical documents, economic and demographic statistics and public opinion. The first part of the work examines four particularly relevant historical processes concerning the relationship between State and society that can be identified by very precise symbolic events defined here as crisis: 1) the October 2, 1968, massacre that culminated the student uprising; 2) the August 31, 1976, peso devaluation that marked the climax of the confrontation between the Echeverrista government and the domestic business class; 3) the September 1, 1982, bank nationalization that symbolized the excesses of the oil boom and foreign indebtedness; 4) the October, 1987, stock market crash that ended unrealistic market euphoria of political origin. The second part of the thesis seeks to quantitatively outline these historical processes and establish a basis for c...

Political Change and Stability in Mexico: The Historical Context

California Western international law journal, 1987

For many years, those observing Mexico have debated the question, "Is the Mexican Revolution dead?"' Those responding in the affirmative have noted that the institutionalization of the Revolution along with the development of the dominant, "official" political party, the Partido Revolucionario Institutional (PRI), has created a new political elite, a massive and conservative bureaucracy, and a system opposed to change. Many feel that this political system having guaranteed political stability and social peace in Mexico for so many years, is unable to bring meaningful change or reform. Mexico's current economic crisis has led many of these pessimists, along with members of the press and others, to speculate that only another revolution can alter existing structures sufficiently to respond to the present needs of the country. A review of the historical development of modern Mexico will facilitate an evaluation of the possibilities of reform or revolution.

Mexico Today: The Collapse of the Future

After Salinas de Gortari won a fraudulent election in 1988, Pedro Aspe Armella, a brilliant member of the ITAM (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México) community, became Salinas´ Minister of Finance through his whole presidency. Gustavo Petricioli (de la Madrid´s Minister of Finance) and Aspe built a model of economic recovery based on neoliberal principles and free trade. Through several shock programs called “Pactos,” inflation was controlled, public finances became manageable, free trade became a viable and reliable tool for Mexico´s long term development of the economy, and even Salinas had the time to push hard, and successfully, for the implementation of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among United States, Canada, and Mexico. Future was so brilliant and beautiful… After more than 30 years of the beginning of this process, such future has gone bananas for most Mexicans.