Consolidating Mexico's Democracy

In 2006, Felipe Calderon narrowly defeated Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico's hotly contested presidential election. Mexico's 2006 presidential race demonstrated the importance of contested elections in democratic consolidation. Consolidating Mexico's Democracy is at once a close examination of this historic election and an original contribution to the comparative study of elections throughout the world. The contributors to this volume-preeminent scholars from the fields of political science and government-make use of extensive research data to analyze the larger issues and voter practices at play in this election. With their exclusive use of panel surveys-where individuals are interviewed repeatedly to ascertain whether they have changed their voter preference during an election campaign-the contributors gather rich evidence that uniquely informs their assessment of the impact of the presidential campaign and the voting views of Mexican citizens. The contributors find that, regardless of the deep polarization between the presidential candidates, the voters expressed balanced and nuanced political views, focusing on the perceived competence of the candidates. The essays here suggest the 2006 election, which was only the second fully free and competitive presidential election allowed by the Mexican government, edged the country closer to the pattern of public opinion and voting behavior that is familiar in well-established democracies in North America and Western Europe.