Mexico’s Economic Development

How poor is Mexico? The most serious problem in Mexico today is poverty. Indeed, as General Clemente Vega, President Fox’s secretary of national defense once suggested, it is the number one national security problem in Mexico. There is no question that several of Mexico’s other...

Introduction

Many scholarly friends of my generation who focused on Latin American studies or some other regional specialization have expressed an itch to accomplish two complementary professional, scholarly goals: to write a novel set in their country of expertise and, perhaps even more challenging, to author...

What Lies Ahead?

It is clear from the answers to the questions in this book that Mexico faces many difficult challenges. Some of these are long term, others more immediate. Regardless of which issues one considers to have top priority, most will be affected directly or indirectly by...

Mexico’s Colonial Heritage

How did the Spanish viceroys shape Mexico’s political heritage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? When Spain sent expeditions to what is today Mexico and conquered the indigenous populations, it needed to create a structure of governance for its colonies in North and South America....

Mexico’s Democratic Transition

How did Carlos Salinas alter the Mexican political model? Carlos Salinas de Gortari became president of Mexico in 1988, after a highly contentious and fraudulent election. His predecessor, Miguel de la Madrid, selected his former secretary of programming and budgeting as his successor in order...

The Mexican Revolution and a New Political Model for Mexico

The Mexican Revolution What were the causes of the Mexican Revolution of 1910? Historians have argued for a century about which were the most important causes of the Mexican Revolution. Although they do not agree on their relative importance, they do agree on what the...

Mexico’s Social Development

How inequitable is Mexican development and what are the social consequences? Depending on the measurement used, Mexico’s development is considered to be significantly inequitable; development in Latin America as a whole is marked by the greatest degree of inequality in the world. Inequality is typically...

Relations with the United States

What is the impact of geography on Mexico? Mexico’s proximity to the United States—the two countries share a 1,954-mile border—has had an extraordinary effect on Mexico economically, politically, and culturally. The disparity in income levels between the two countries has, had numerous consequences. Perhaps the...

Security and Violence in Mexico

Why does Mexico have so much drug violence today? Mexico’s drug problems emanate from the insatiable demand for drugs in the United States. Currently, the United States serves as the largest market for drugs in the world. The level of demand by the United States...

Cultural, Economic, and Social Developments

What are Mexican religious beliefs and religious relationships? The World Values Survey, which is the most comprehensive global survey of citizen values and attitudes, clearly demonstrates that Mexicans view themselves as strong believers in God. Indeed, 98 percent said they believed in God, compared with...