The Consolidation and Dismantling of Authoritarian Rule in Mexico free essay sample

This paper compares the presidencies of Lazaro Cardenas and Carlos Salinas de Gortari in an effort to describe how the traditional ruling party of Mexico lost in the election of 2000. This paper is primarily a study of democratization. Its subject matter is Mexico and it traces how the Institutional Revolutionary Party consolidated its power over Mexican politics and how it lost this power in July 2000 with the election of Vicente Fox. It does this by examining the presidencies of Lazaro Cardenas and Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Both of these men wielded their power in such a way as to effect massive change in Mexico. On July 2, 2000 an event unprecedented in Mexicos 20th century electoral history occurred. The benign authoritarian rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party ended when the candidate of the opposition PAN became Mexicos garnered 43.4% of the vote. Francisco Labastida of the PRI won 36.8% of the vote. After a century of one-party rule, the PRI became a victim of its own reforms. We will write a custom essay sample on The Consolidation and Dismantling of Authoritarian Rule in Mexico or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The evolution of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, from the primary political player in Mexico to a vector for a reform and democratization is the result of the maneuverings of an extensive and eclectic succession of jefe maximos. These presidents have traditionally wielded the majority of power in Mexico. Whether or not a Mexican president will utilize his substantive powers to improve the lives of the Mexican populace depends on a rational political calculation. They must take into account the mood of the masses, the state of the economy, and international factors. Notably the two presidents who did the most to change the landscape of the Mexican polity did so not so much out of their own convictions, although in the case of Lazaro Cardenas that certainly played a part, but because of societal pressure. This paper will seek to answer two questions; how the PRI was able to remain in power for most of the last century and how democratization became a consequence of this power. In order to examine these questions fully, this analysis will focus on the sexenios, or six-year terms, of Lazaro Cardenas and Carlos Salinas de Gortari.