Social Actors, Political Representation and Democracy in Mexico

Low representativeness and modernity explain electoral abstention as well as the level of support Mexicans give to democracy. I argue that both raise two conflicts. The first one is the most important and reflects a generalized, but differentiated, claim on the part of citizens for better representation. The second one points to disagreements regarding the Mexican modernization process. Therefore, behind the struggle for representation in Mexico lies the demand for more openness from the State in order for these conflicts to be expressed. These arguments are supported by a quantitative analysis comprising logistic equations and a survey conducted fifteen days after the federal election of 2006.