Democratizing Mexico: Public Opinion and Electoral Choices

"Using election results and many surveys made during the last decade, this book sheds light not only on Mexico but on the subject of how an authoritarian mind-set can be transformed and, by doing so, change the system."―Robert A. Pastor, Political Science QuarterlyIn this groundbreaking study of Mexican public opinion and elections, Jorge Domínguez and James McCann examine the attitudes and behaviors of Mexican voters from the 1950s to the 1990s and find evidence of both support for and increasing independence from the nation's ruling party. They make extensive use of polls conducted during the 1988, 1991, and 1994 national elections and draw from in-depth interviews with leading political figures, including major presidential candidates. Although the 1994 presidential election showed that Mexican citizens are making their opinions known and felt at the polls, Domínguez and McCann argue that Mexico cannot be considered a democracy as long as party elites fail to ensure truly free and fair elections. "Any generalist or specialist interested in the Mexican voter... should read this work. The authors' clearly argued and challenging conclusions about 'ecological' cleavages and their formulation of an imaginative two step voting behavior model will have a lasting impact on electoral survey analysis for all future work for years to come."―Roderic Ai Camp, Review of Politics"Domínguez and McCann's concern is with what polling data reveals about Mexican attitudes toward democracy. In this meticulous study, they find that 'Mexican citizens are readier for democracy than are some of those who still seek to rule them.'"―Kenneth Maxwell, Foreign Affairs