After the end: México's PRI in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential defeat

Abstract

This paper discusses two important developments in the once-hegemonic PRI after its defeat in the 2000 presidential elections. The PRI has successfully avoided the fates of many other hegemonic parties by not splitting into several smaller parties. This was largely achieved through the work of the party’s new president who obliged other group leaders to accept his leadership. The second important aspect of the party has been the decentralization of important areas of authority, such as candidate selection, to lower levels of the organization, most importantly, the state governors. This drive to devolve power and authority within the party is largely a result of losing the party’s former Leviathan – the President of Mexico – who has always forced all party politicians to cooperate. A consequence of this decentralization is that PRI politicians are creating state based political careers within the party in far larger numbers than under authoritarian conditions.

Este trabajo examina dos cambios importantes que ha vivido el PRI después de perder la presidencia en 2000. El PRI ha sobrevivido su derrota electoral mejor que muchos otros partidos autoritarios que salen del poder después de dominar el sistema político por décadas. El primer cambio se trata de la habilidad del nuevo líder del PRI de obligar a muchos grupos a aceptar su liderazgo. La segunda transformación es la descentralización del poder ―sobre la selección de candidatos, por ejemplo― a los afiliados del PRI en los estados. Como consecuencia de la descentralización, los políticos dentro del PRI están construyendo bases de apoyo político en los estados y sus carreras políticas están cambiando.