Abstract

HERNANDEZ, María Aidé. Mexican Democracy, Overcome by a Political Culture with Authoritarian Features. Rev. Mex. Sociol [online]. 2008, vol.70, n.2, pp.261-303. ISSN 2594-0651.

In spite of the political transformations occurred in Mexico during the last 20 years, the Mexican citizen's political culture has shown few improvements, since certain characteristics keep on prevailing and do not encourage an autonomous participation contribuing to the success of the democratic process. Some of the most relevant advances for such process are knowledge and interest in politics; confidence in the interpersonal relationships, in institutions and in democracy; tolerance; and subjective competence. Their absence favours the prevalence of authoritarian features as clientelism and corporativism. Small cultural changes have taken place in the electoral domain though, where there is a great acceptance of plurality and competition among the political parties and citizens consider suffrage not as a right but as a political weapon.

Keywords : Authoritarian political culture.