Democratizing Mexico: public opinion and electoral choices

Abstract

In this study of Mexican public opinion and elections, the authors examine the attitudes and behaviours of Mexican voters from the 1950s to the 1990s and find evidence of both support for and increasing independence from the nation's ruling party. They make extensive use of polls conducted during the 1988, 1991 and 1994 national elections and draw from in-depth interviews with leading political figures, including presidential candidates. Although the 1994 presidential election showed that Mexican citizens are making their opinions known and felt at the polls, Dominguez and McCann argue that Mexico cannot be considered a democracy as long as party elites fail to ensure truly free and fair elections.