The camarillas: a theoretical and comparative examination of why they exist and why take the specific form they do

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to answer two related questions: one, why do factions exist in the Mexican political system, and two, why are they structured in their present form, rather than in an alternative manner. Using a combination of the individual-centered approach and the comparative method, I will attempt to explain why individuals working in a system of high turnover in positions within the bureaucracy and dominant party form hierarchical-cooperative groups which last more than one presidential term. In the comparative section, the problema will be examined from a different angle: the Mexican political groups will be compared to Japanese factions and Brazilian friendship networks (during the authoritarian era) to understand why Mexican factions are not as institutionalized as the Japanese factional entities and why they are more long lasting and stable than the Brazilian bureaucratic networks.