Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | T | The Review of Policy Research

Policy studies in a new North America: Mexico 2003.

Article Excerpt
From October 6-9, 2003, members of the Policy Studies Organization have the opportunity to participate in a major conference in Mexico, the North-South Colloquium (for full information see http://www.ipsonet.org/page.cgi?i=conf-dir-mx#nsc). There will be a large gathering of academics and government officials in Puebla, a historic center about two hours from Mexico City, to discuss policy making in a North American context. PSO will be co-sponsoring this event with various government agencies, along with prestigious academic organizations such as the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and numerous universities. PSO has a long tradition of interest in the development of policy studies in countries other than the United States. In Mexico, there is now a new interest in the subject.

In the wake of the defeat of ruling oligarchy in recent elections, Mexican reformers are demanding that states have freedom to serve as testing grounds for new ideas such as: implementation of housing and agricultural programs; allowing governors and legislatures to make policy; competition among the states for attracting business, and respect for constitutional provisions for state participation in government. Prior to the election of President Vicente Fox, the then embattled if well-intentioned president of Mexico, (1) Ernesto Zedillo, repeatedly proclaimed that a "New federalism is sweeping through the country." (2) One of his presidential initiatives was to announce his support for a transfer of policy authority to the states called the "Alliance for the Countryside" and to appoint a special assistant on New Federalism (Esteban Moctezuma Barragan). As Zedillo travelled around the country vainly trying to shore up increasingly threatened authority, he insisted that, "we will push ahead with the transfer of authority, resources and responsibility from central government to other levels of government." (3)

The changes brought about by the National Political Agreement for the Reform of the State, a 1995 agreement between the major political parties of the country that was partly motivated by fears of violence if peaceful changes were not negotiated, were historic. The results of the agreement have immense implications for...