Mexico

Acknowledgments Political Map of Mexico List of Tables Introduction

Part I: Major Issues Facing Mexico Today

Chapter 1: Security and Violence in Mexico --Why Does Mexico Have so Much Drug Violence Today? --Has Mexico Always Had a Drug Problem? -- Which Areas of Mexico are most Affected by Drug Violence, Who Are the Primary Targets, and Does the Violence Spill Across the Border? --How are Mexico's Security Problems America's Problems? --What is the Origin of the Drug Cartels and which Organizations are the Major Cartels? --What Role has Mexico Played in the U.S. Northern Command? --What do Mexicans Consider to be the Most Important Issues Facing the Country? --Does Mexico Exercise Political Sovereignty Throughout the Republic?

Chapter 2: Mexico's Economic Development --How Poor is Mexico? --How is Mexico Addressing its Poverty? --What is the Economic Relationship between Mexico and the United States? --What was the impact of NAFTA on Mexico? --What is the State of Mexico's Economy Today? --What Kind of Economic Model Does Mexico Follow? --What Does the Mexican Economic Model Teach Us About Development? --Why is Mexico City so Polluted and Can These Conditions be Altered? --How Has Mexico Addressed Domestic and Cross-Border Environmental Issues?

Chapter 3: Mexico's Political Development --When Did Mexico Become Democratic? --How Democratic is Mexico? --Why Did Mexico Make The Democratic Transition So Slowly? --What Can Mexico Teach Us About Civil Military Relations? --Why Has Mexico Been so Stable since the 1930s? --What is the Impact of the United States on Mexico's Political Development and Democratization?

Chapter 4: Foreign Relations with the United States --What is the Impact of Geography on Mexico? --What has Happened with Immigration to the United States? --Could the US/Mexico Water Commission Serve as an Institutional Model for Other Issues with the United States? --What Can the United States do to Help Mexico? --How Has Mexico Influenced the United States Economically?

Chapter 5: Mexico's Social Development --How Unequal is Mexican Development and What are the Social Consequences? --What is the Current Status of Indigenous Mexicans? --What are Mexican Attitudes Toward Global Environmental Issues?

Part II: Historical Legacies Chapter 6: Mexico's Colonial Heritage --How Did the Spanish Viceroys Shape Mexico's Political Heritage in the 19th and 20th Centuries? --What was the Relationship Between Church and State in Mexico and Why Was it so Different from that of the United States? -- What Consequences did the Colonial Relationship between Church and State have for the 19th and 20th Centuries? --What is the Most Important Heritage of Spain's Economic System in Mexico? --How Were Social Class Relations Determined by Colonial Experiences?

Chapter 7: The National Period and the Rise of Liberal/Conservative Conflicts --What are the Long Term Consequences of Liberal-Conservative Conflicts in Mexico? --Who Started the Mexican-American War and How Did it Affect Relations with the United States? --Who is Benito Juárez? --What is the War of the Reform? --Why Was the Constitution of 1857 so Important? --Who is Porfirio Díaz and What is the Porfiriato? --What Were the Long-term Consequences of the Porfiriato for the 20th Century?

Chapter 8: The Mexican Revolution and a New Political Model for Mexico

The Mexican Revolution --What Were the Causes of the Mexican Revolution of 1910? --Who is Francisco I. Madero? --Who Really is Pancho Villa? --Who Benefited Most From the Mexican Revolution? --Could Mexico Have Achieved Changes in its Structures Through Peaceful Means Instead of Violence? --How Did the Revolution Alter Political Institutions and Civil Military Relations? --What Was the Attitude of the United States Toward the Revolution? --What is the Constitution of 1917? --What was the Cultural Impact of the Mexican Revolution on Painting, Music and Literature?

The Evolution of Modern Political Structures After 1920 --Why Did the Assassination of President-elect Alvaro Obregón Alter Mexico's Political Future? --What was the influence of Plutarco Elías Calles on the Formation of a Modern Mexican State? --What is the National Revolutionary Party (PNR)? --Who is Lázaro Cárdenas and How Did Influence Mexico's Political Model? --Why Did Mexico Nationalize the Petroleum Industry in 1939? --Did Mexico Participate in World War II? --When Did Civilian Leadership Take Control of the Mexican Political System? --What is the Alemán Generation and What were its Consequences for Mexican Politics? --What is the PRI? --What is the Mexican Economic Miracle? --What is the PAN?

The Decline of the PRI and the Mexican Model --What is the Tlatelolco Student Massacre in 1968 and What are its Long-term Political Consequences? --What is the "Dirty War" in Mexico? --What Was the Impact of the 1964 Electoral Reforms? --What Were the Leading Political Characteristics of Mexico's Semi-Authoritarian Model? --What Were the Consequences of the Nationalization of the Banks in 1982? --Did Mexico's Economic Woes in the 1980s Have Significant Political Consequences? Chapter 9 Mexico's Democratic Transition --How did Carlos Salinas Alter the Mexican Political Model? --Why is the Presidential Election of 1988 a Benchmark for Democracy in Mexico? --Who is Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas and What is the PRD? --How Did Salinas Change Mexico's Economic Model and what is NAFTA? --Who Are the Technocrats? --When Did an Opposition Party Win its First Governorship in Mexico? -- What was the Zapatista Uprising of 1994 and What were its political consequences? --What Were the Consequences of the Zapatistas for Civil-Military Relations? --Why is the Presidential Election of 1994 Considered a Second Benchmark in the Democratic Transition? --What Was the Role of the Catholic Church in the 1994 Presidential Race? --What Were the Consequences of the Assassination of the PRI Presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio in 1994? --How Did President Zedillo Contribute to the Democratic Transition? --What is the Mexican Bailout?

Part III: Mexico's Present and Future

Chapter 10: Mexico's Democratic Consolidation Politics of Democracy --Why was the 2000 Presidential Race Essential to Mexico's Democratization? --Who is Vicente Fox? --What is the Transparency Law? --What is "Amigos de Fox"? --What Was the Role of the Private Sector in the Democratic Consolidation? --Who are the Most Important Interest Groups? --What is the Role of the Media in the Process of Democratic Consolidation? --What Role Did the United States Play in Mexico's Democratization? --What Role Did Intellectuals Play in Mexico's Democratization? --What Impact Has the Environmental Movement Played in Mexico?

Further Consolidation --What Happened in the 2006 Presidential Race? --Why Did Felipe Calderón Win the Election? --Who is Manuel Andrés López Obrador? --What is the Federal Electoral Institute? --What do the Mexican People Think about the Government's War on Drugs? --What Impact Does the Army's Mission Against Drug Cartels Have on Civil-Military Relations? --How do Mexicans Define Democracy and How Committed Are They to Democratic Governance? --What Do Mexicans Expect From Democracy?

Chapter 11: Cultural, Economic and Social Developments --What are the Mexican Religious Beliefs and Religious Relationships? --How Are the Drug Wars Influencing Cultural and Religious Behavior? --What are Mexican Attitudes Toward Gender Roles? --How Tolerant are Mexicans Toward Minority Groups? --What is Mexico's Impact on Cultural Trends in the United States?

Chapter 12: What Lies Ahead?

Chronology of Mexican Presidents, 1964-2012 Selected Suggested Readings in English Index