Contemporary Mexican Politics

This widely acclaimed book provides a comprehensive analysis of Mexico’s current, complex political landscape, up to the López Obrador administration and Claudia Sheinbaum’s 2024 election.

Leading experts Emily Edmonds-Poli and David A. Shirk offer highly accessible coverage of Mexico’s political development over the course of the twentieth century and an insightful examination of some of the most important policy issues facing Mexico in the twenty-first century. Additions to this new edition include:

• Fully updated material on the López Obrador administration, including institutional reforms, expansion of social welfare programs, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Complete coverage of the 2024 electoral processes and a detailed overview of the first year of Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration
• An updated look at Mexico’s persistent security challenges
• An examination of US-Mexico relations under the Biden and Trump administrations
• A detailed look at Mexico’s economic progress

The first half of Contemporary Mexican Politics provides an overview of Mexican history and political development, from the pre-Columbian era to the present. These chapters focus especially on the formation of the modern Mexican political system, with particular emphasis on the 71-period of post-revolutionary single-party rule, the period of multiparty competition, and the political dominance of the MORENA party.

The second half of the book analyzes the structure of Mexican governance and the most pressing policy issues currently facing Mexican society, including macroeconomic growth and stability, poverty and inequality, the development of civil society, drug trafficking, the rule of law, and foreign relations.

This volume offers students, scholars, and policymakers a nuanced analysis of Mexico’s political development.