Contemporary Mexican Politics - Softcover

Edmonds-Poli, Emily; Shirk, David A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0742540499 ISBN 13: 9780742540491

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2008

Synopsis

A second edition of this book is now available. This comprehensive, current, and engaging text explores Mexico's political development over the course of the twentieth century and examines the most important policy issues facing Mexico in the twenty-first century. Beginning with the 1910 Revolution, the first half of the book explains the creation of Mexico's single-party system, headed by the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). It includes a thorough treatment of the "classic" PRI system's characteristics, a knowledgeable account of the PRI's demise, and an insightful examination of how the country's institutions evolved under two successive PAN (National Action Party) presidential administrations. The second half of the book analyzes the most pressing policy issues facing Mexican society, including poverty and inequality, gender and indigenous issues, rule of law, and trade relations with the United States and other countries. How these challenges are addressed will be crucial for the future of democracy in Mexico. The text is richly supplemented by numerous figures and tables that illustrate broad political and economic trends, boxes that provide in-depth treatment of a variety of subjects and concepts, and key words that identify major themes and important information. Recommended readings for each chapter point students to further research. Students and professors alike will find Contemporary Mexican Politics the most up-to-date and accessible text available on Mexico's political development and domestic and international policies.

About this title

Review

Edmonds-Poli and Shirk have crafted a stellar book on Mexican politics. This is a must read for students of Mexican politics and policy makers. The authors clearly achieve their goal of providing a thorough discussion of Mexico's political development and, in the process, explain the country's democratic transition and evaluate its prospects for survival... This book is well cited, accessible, and engaging... This is an excellent book on contemporary Mexican politics. Highly recommended. CHOICE Contemporary Mexican Politics does an excellent job of laying out the foundations of the Mexican political system, leaving little of relevance out of the picture. For students of comparative politics, it is an excellent entry-level volume, which elegantly brings together the complex intricacies of one of the world's most unique political systems... For everyone else with an interest in Mexican history, politics or current affairs, a recommendation is no less valid. International Affairs Edmonds-Poli and Shirk have produced a masterful survey of Mexican politics. Their work is comprehensive in scope, sensitive to long-term historical change, and very insightful concerning the diverse political, social, and foreign policy challenges facing contemporary Mexico. The book will undoubtedly attract a broad readership. -- Kevin J. Middlebrook, University of London Edmonds-Poli and Shirk do a masterful job of making the Mexican political system-one of the most complex in the developing world-comprehensible to students. The authors succeed in demonstrating both how far Mexico has come and how much remains to be done to consolidate its nascent democracy, making this an ideal text for both Mexico-focused courses and broader surveys of Latin American politics. -- Wayne A. Cornelius, University of California-San Diego Contemporary Mexican Politics offers a serious and systematic accounting of one of the world's most complex and interesting governing systems... The autocracy of the PRI ultimately gave way in 2000 to a full multi-party state which had been gestating for the previous decade. Edmonds-Poli and Shirk offer illuminating insights into both the one party state and its democratic heir in this valuable volume. -- Jeffrey Davidow, president, Institute of the Americas and U.S. ambassador to Mexico (1998-2002)

About the Author

Emily Edmonds-Poli is associate professor in the department of political science at the University of San Diego. David A. Shirk is assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of San Diego.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0742540499
• ISBN 13: 9780742540491
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 418