Mexican Presidential Succession

Paper Summary:

Discusses system of transferring political power. How the Mexican "dedazo" system of selecting presidents functions. Siting president choosing his successor. The single party system PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). Refers to J. G. Castaneda's book "Perpetuating Power" that analyzes transfers of presidential power. Advantages and disadvantages of the Mexican political system. The Pendulum theory.

From the Paper:

"The Mexican Presidential Succession

After more than a century of rule by military strongmen, foreign invaders, and a series of revolutionary leaders who were assassinated one by one, a system of transferring political power was devised that has generally served Mexico well. Politics is a messy, contentious business, and no one has yet invented a perfect system that meets the needs of all segments of society, makes decisions effectively, and deals with its problems on a basis of justice and the rule of law.

Mexico is no exception. But for more than 70 years its rather arcane process of selecting presidents, known as el dedazo (the laying on of the finger), provided domestic stability, stopping the endless cycle of violence. And although not ..."

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