ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book identifies several important reasons for the Party of the Institutionalized Revolution's (PRI) decline, among them, that it is operating in a democratic electoral arena quite distinct from that which characterized its origins, its very organizational structure has hampered reforms within the party, and finally, leadership of the party has changed substantially. It suggests that, the changing characteristics of PRI, and its effect on system legitimacy, and consequently stability, is the failure of the PRI-government alliance "to channel important political demands through party/electoral mechanisms." The book explains, some caution is justified in being optomistic about the recuperative powers of the Mexican economy, not just because of policies which the administration, and its successor, might pursue, but because of given conditions which will continue to influence the economy's outlook for years to come.
