State Design and the Organization of Power After the break with the Old Order: A Review of Mexico and Latin America

Abstract

In the 19th century, the break with the old order was based on social contradictions that highlighted not only inequality but also the social and political exclusion of the criollos from the Spanish elites. Thus, the emerging nation-state sought to establish a political and social order that centralized power under the dominance of the executive branch. In Mexico, as in other Latin American nations, this was a constant policy that led to authoritarian governments. Thus, the States managed to develop capacities that allowed them to exert their dominance through the construction of specific power relations. In these relations, the preferences of political actors and the exerted state influence were decisive in shaping institutional strength or weakness. The role played by the military elite is particularly noteworthy, as their preponderance in wartime contexts allowed them to dominate public life in fragile institutional settings.

For this reason, the centralization project also brought with it a process of hegemonic consolidation of an elite, as well as the destruction of alternative local powers. Our intention is to evaluate the order and development of institutions, in order to materialize state projects that, in response, would offer sufficient conditions for the development of societies.