SHAPING MEXICOS ELECTORAL ARENA - THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTISAN CLEAVAGES IN THE 1988 AND 1991 NATIONAL ELECTIONS

In the 1988 and 1991 national elections, Mexican voters asked themselv es above all whether they continued to support the long-ruling officia l party. Voter behavior was not well explained by attachments to socia l cleavages, attitudes on policy issues, or general assessments about the present circumstances and the prospects for the nation's economy o r personal finances. In both elections, moreover, the parties of the L eft failed to mobilize voters that had chosen to abstain in past elect ions. Once voters were ready to oppose the ruling party, however, diff erences by issue, prospective economic assessments, and social cleavag es shaped their choice between the opposition parties.