State Power and its Limits

Abstract

Several analysts of Mexican politics have suggested that the Mexican State is largely autonomous and exercises substantial control over that country's policy development process. This study, however, argues that while the state has considerable autonomy, there also major limitations to its power. Using the development of the rural social security system during the Echeverría administration (1970-1976) as its focal point, this work analyzes both the extent and the limitations of state power in Mexico. First, the existence of bureaucratic enclaves which are not fully penetrated by the executive is found to limit presidential ability to dictate policy outcomes. Second, the realities of dependent capitalist development are also found to accentuate the state's attentiveness to business elites, reducing its ability to pursue an independent course.