Title: Alternation and Democratic Quality in Mexico: A Fuzzy Relationship
Abstract: The democratization process initiated in 70's in Latin America was strengthened during 80's, which reveals difficulties across the political system.Political change, defined as change in succeeding parties, does not have the expected effects in the American continent as in European transitions, (O´Donnell and Schmitter: 1988).In the 70's and 80's, the continental countries-positively viewed by the Latin American countries-began their transition to democracy.However, over the years it was demonstrated that representative democracy does not necessarily imply democratic quality (Morlino: 2005) and the transition can have many outcomes.The question is: Why is democratic consolidation more complicated in a Latin American country?With respect to Mexico, after alternating in 2000, academic discussion has focused on the issue of democratic consolidation; however, electoral results in 2006 marked the turning point about the political direction.The increasing discontent, distrust and questioning to Federal Electoral Institute was demonstrated again in regular elections of 2012, where results were seen by many people as a setback.In consequence, the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party has captured the attention of both political actors and scholars, and it has put into question the issue of democratic consolidation.So the main objective of this panel is to assemble a discussion from different perspectives about the Mexican transition, based, by one side, in the relationship between actors and institutions as agents of political change, and by the other, in the effects contrasted with the elements that determine the construction of a democracy of quality.