The Politics of Mexico

Description

Over the past three decades, Mexico has experienced profound political, economic, and social transformations, moving from a one-party system often described as a “perfect dictatorship” to a multiparty emerging democracy, while simultaneously undergoing sweeping economic restructuring and integrating into global markets through agreements like NAFTA. These changes have unfolded alongside deep turmoil, including political assassinations, revolutionary movements, and a devastating drug war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left tens of thousands missing. This course examines these historic shifts to better understand Mexico’s current political landscape and the challenges it faces, using Mexico as a case study to explore broader questions about democratization, threats to democratic regimes, and the influence of international forces on national development. We will trace Mexico’s evolution from the colonial period to the present, comparing its trajectory with that of other countries to shed light on the dynamics of political change worldwide.