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International Journal of Public Opinion Research 15:134-150 (2003)
© 2003 World Association for Public Opinion Research

Democratization and the Ghost of Zapata: Mexico from 1959 to 1991

David L. Leal

David L. Leal is an assistant professor of government at The University of Texas at Austin.

Address correspondence to Professor David L. Leal, Department of Government, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA, E-mail: dleal{at}gov.utexas.edu

This paper investigates a class-based explanation for recent movement toward democratization in Mexico. By comparing public opinion polls taken in 1959 and 1991, it finds an increased acceptance of democratization among higher socio-economic status (SES) respondents. In 1959, higher SES Mexicans expressed a greater fear of the consequences of opposition party governance than did lower SES Mexicans, an effect that disappeared by 1991. In light of the long-standing Mexican fear of political and social instability, and the claim of the former ruling party (the PRI) as the guarantor of stability, this paper discusses how this attitudinal change may have played a role in facilitating democratic reform.


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