Is Mexico Falling into the Authoritarian Trap?

Mexico’s 2021 midterm elections occurred amid concerns about the erosion of democratic institutions. Supporters President Lopez Obrador (AMLO) view his centralization power in executive as necessary to make government work for a marginalized majority. But same state weaknesses that helped propel AMLO constrain responses complex governance problems, including poverty and violent crime. This limits AMLO’s ability consolidate populist supermajority can overwhelm constitutional checks balances. State weakness increased reliance on military thus pose greater threat democracy than new electoral hegemon.