Mexico since 1980

The World Since 1980

by Stephen H. Haber, Herbert S. Klein, Noel Maurer

This book addresses two questions that are crucial to understanding Mexico’s current economic and political challenges. Why did the opening up of the economy to foreign trade and investment not result in sustained economic growth? Why has electoral democracy not produced rule of law? The answer to those questions lies in the ways in which Mexico’s long history with authoritarian government shaped its judicial, taxation, and property rights institutions. These institutions, the authors argue, cannot be reformed with the stroke of a pen. Moreover, they represent powerful constraints on the ability of the Mexican government to fund welfare-enhancing reforms, on the ability of firms and households to write contracts, and on the ability of citizens to enforce their basic rights.

Genres: History, Politics

266 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Aydin Gunduz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good and concise overview of Mexican Politics, from a political economy perspective. Provides a theoretically informed and focused narrative, supported with macroeconomic data. If I were to prepare a syllabus for a course that would focus on or cover Mexican history, this one would be a required reading :)
(There's a short but satisfactory introduction on the making of the modern Mexico and the PRI regime - even though it focuses on the post-1980 political and economic transformation.)