ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the meaning of democracy in relation to specific features of the Mexican political system. The political regime is defined in the Constitution as a federal, representative democracy; however, in everyday political practice, it has functioned very differently. Formal democracy, understood as one of the expressions of political representation of social classes, is very important, but it certainly is not the only expression of democracy and sometimes not even the main one. Thus political leaders are replaced peacefully through the electoral process and the opposition has the opportunity to rise to power by way of elections. In order to understand the role that the electoral process, with its peculiar characteristics, has in the Mexican political system, it is essential to be mindful of its historical genesis. The organization of these political movements revolved around a single political figure, and no permanent opposition political party was ever created.