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The Fragile State: Mexico's Post-Pri Struggle For Democratic Rule

The recent Mexican presidential elections and the fiasco that followed demonstrate the difficulties involved in making a fledgling democracy successful.   With its unique history of turmoil and bloodshed, corruption and autocracy, Mexico has a lot to prove to the world and itself if it is to create trust in its new political structure.   Despite the government’s extensive preparations, the most recent elections contained many reminders of the old system’s flaws, as well as the party that dominated it.   The refusal of Lopez Obrador from the left-leaning PRD to admit defeat and the instability that followed can only be understood in the realm of Mexico’s caudillo politics in which the strongest man manipulates the system to his advantage.   The political battles that are plaguing Mexico, if not decided in the courts, may find their way once again to the streets.   However, if the law is upheld, the electoral and judicial institutions retain their credibility in the eyes of the public and the president elect remains strong yet checked, then Mexico may very well be on its way to a thriving democracy.
PRI Origins to fall from Power
“Mexico: where life is cheap, death is rich, and the buzzards are never unhappy.
–Edward Abby

To make sense of the evolution of Mexican politics it is important to understand the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the solutions the party brought when it came to power in 1929, the problems it created, and the reasons it was eventually cast aside by the Mexican population.   Numerous accounts of corruption, fraudulent elections, and even some atrocities are well documented and serve to cast a bad light on the regime.   On the other hand, compared to other authoritarian regimes during the same period the PRI was relatively reserved and respectful of its citizens.   While the PRI can be described as an authoritarian regime, it stands separate from other examples in that it strove to be popular, and stepped down relatively gracefully when...