ABSTRACT
Mexico is both similar and dissimilar to most Latin American countries. It is similar in that the universal language is Spanish, the dominant religion is Roman Catholic and a two-class system exists in which the majority of the population is poor. Mexico is dissimilar in that it has not been governed by military rule in over 60 years? has not had a civil war or a serious uprising since 1910; has not in the past defaulted on its public debt and borders one of the most developed countries in the world. These factors are important in preserving Mexico’s ideological environment that has moulded the fabric of its welfare system.
