Written by two leading scholars, this book provides a detailed analysis of Mexico's political economy. James M. Cypher and Raúl Delgado Wise begin with an examination of Mexico's pivotal economic crisis of the 1980s and the consequent turn toward an export-led economy, later anchored by NAFTA. They show how Mexico, after abandoning frequently successful past practices of state-led development, disastrously tied its future to an unconditional reliance on foreign corporations to promote an export-led growth strategy. Focusing on Mexico's cheap labor export model, the authors use the maquiladora sector and the auto industry as case studies of the perils of globalization—the "race to the bottom" as capital becomes ever more international. The government's unconstrained free-market policies, they convincingly argue, have resulted in a fragmented economy marked by stagnation, falling wages, informal part-time employment, and massive migration, which define daily life for all but a tiny minority.

Critical veiw of current economic cooperation between government and business in modern Mexico.

Critical veiw of current economic cooperation between government and business in modern Mexico.

DIVAnthology about three of the persistent crises that have wracked Mexican society throughout its modern history, asking why these ruptures occurred, why they mobilized Mexicans of all social classes, and why some led to significant political transformatio/div

"Argues that incoherent social programs significantly contribute to poverty and little growth. Proposes converting the existing social security system into universal social entitlements. Advocates eliminating wage-based social security contributions and raising consumption taxes on higher-income households to increase the rate of GDP growth, reduce inequality, and improve benefits for workers"--Provided by publisher.

In this fascinating thousand year survey of America's controversial and rapidly changing neighbor, a leading expert on Latin America explains how Mexico's present and future flow directly from its past. Going well beyond analyses of recent crises, Mexicois an engrossing, pellucid introduction to the Indian civilization, the harsh rule of the Spaniards, social violence and revolution, and the country's mercurial relationship with the United States up to the present. Jaime Suchlicki indicates that Mexico's turbulent history contains recurring and often contradictory trends. He convincingly describes how that history contributes to Mexico's current and arguably future difficulties. With an engaging style that brings a colorful story to life, the author provides sophisticated insights into the exciting historical development of America's increasingly important trading partner. Mexico contains numerous rare photographs and offers an up-to-date perspective on Mexico of today and tomorrow, including an assessment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its implications for the future of United States-Mexican relations. Upon its initial release, Mexico was hailed by Mario Ojeda Gomez, president of El Colegio de Mexico “as provocative and current. The writing is sharp and the ideas are clear and original. Suchlicki has focused on important aspects of Mexico's history and has explained them with intelligence, selecting what is really significant.” And Manuel Suarez Mier of the Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) writes that Suchlicki's book is “objective and appreciative, and will enable readers to better understand Mexico and its behavior. This is a fascinating and timely book.”

In the spring of 1976, I had the privilege of serving on a Stanford Research Institute team engaged in examining various facets of the Mexican economy. That study provided the opportunity to visit many government ministries and talk with some of Mexico's leading economists. These professional experiences stimulated me to undertake full-scale research on the growth potential of the Mexican economy, a subject in which I had long been interested and on which I had written from time to time, beginning with my book Income Distribution Policies and Economic Growth in Semi-Industrialized Countries: A Comparative Study of Iran, Mexico, Brazil, and South Korea. 1 The present volume might be regarded as the culmination of this endeavor. The methodological approach here is partly descriptive and partly empirical-illustrative formal models are built on both qualitative and theoretical foundations. To sharpen the issue and put the Mexican economy in perspective, international comparisons are made through-out.