ABSTRACT

Recent elections in Mexico have seen dramatic changes in public opinion toward political parties. Focusing on the elections of 1994 and 1997, the book evaluates campaign strategies, voting habits, party loyalty and the decline of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). It begins by situating the transformation of Mexico's parties in historical context, then goes on to consider the role of gender and the resurgence of the Mexican left. The contributors, drawn from the U.S. and Mexico, focus on both the strategies of political parties to woo voters, and how voters actually respond. They also develop several methodological innovations for studying public opinion that can be applied beyond the case of Mexico.

chapter 3|31 pages

Gender Politics in the Mexican Democratization Process

Electing Women and Legislating Sex Crimes and Affirmative Action, 1988–97

chapter 4|26 pages

The Resurrection of the Mexican Left in the 1997 Elections

Implications for the Party System

chapter 6|27 pages

Why Cárdenas Won

The 1997 Elections in Mexico City

chapter 8|34 pages

Is the PRI Fading?

Economic Performance, Electoral Accountability, and Voting Behavior in the 1994 and 1997 Elections