Democratic institutions in Mexico, under the magnifying glass of polyarchy

Abstract

Democracy is the form of government considered in recent decades to be the most just and appropriate for a society. Authors such as O’Donell and Robert Dahl have established some basic conditions or attributes that allow us to determine whether a State has acceptable levels of democracy. This research paper analyzes these attributes in Mexico, given that in recent years there have been voices indicating that the Mexican State could be part of a wave of authoritarianism that is expanding throughout the world, eroding the levels of democracy. It is concluded that while in Mexico it is necessary to strengthen various institutions that are pillars of a democracy, the current institutional framework has generated political certainty and stability in the nation. This does not mean that there are no risks of democratic erosion in Mexico; however, the narratives that Mexico is approaching an autocracy seem, at present, more to be a political narrative than a reality.