The role of the political groups in the succession process

Abstract

The paper will discuss how the political groups within the regime behave given a set of rules that were formed over a period of time beginning in 1934 and which lasted until 1993. The rules circumscribe the political factions' and their leaders' ability to maneuver within the regime during the succession battle, while giving the president a large space to determine his choice. First, we will discuss the importance of the succession in the Mexican political system. Then the formal and informal rules that had governed the transfer of power will be reviewed. We will end this paper with a theoretical examination of the 'game' among the President, the pre-candidates (for the PRI' s presidential nomination) and their groups under the set of rules which existed until the end of 1993.