For this week, we are continuing our discussion of authoritarianism by looking at Mexico. The question of authoritarianism which is really about adhering to a strict hierarchy at the expense of individual freedom can be studied across the globe. We are focusing on Latin America because it offers some important case studies as to how long authoritarian regimes can last, and why they come and go. Mexico is such a case. Although Mexico had a multiple attempts at democracy in the 19th Century (1800's), The majority of Mexico's political history has been that of authoritarian regimes. Thing of General Santa Anna, or Porfirio Diaz, or the PRI one of the most successful authoritarian regimes of the 20th century.

For our discussion, I want you to think about why authoritarianism occurs? What are the origins of authoritarianism, and in particular to Mexico, why do you think authoritarianism was so dominant as a political governing model for such a long time? One way to also approach this question is to ask why did authoritarianism come to an end in Mexico in 2000? What explains these transitions? These are big questions that we will be tackling over the next few weeks.