Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: The Politics of Education Reform in Mexico

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This Doctoral Dissertation Research Support project examines the politics of education reform at the sub-national level in Mexico. In the context of market-oriented economic reforms that have prevailed in Latin America and much of the developing world, scholars and policymakers have begun to emphasize the need to reform areas of social policy. Education is particularly important, both because of the relatively low levels of achievement throughout the region, and because of its potential to complement macroeconomic policies to achieve long-term, equitable growth. Mexico's education system has undergone a process of decentralization over the last 25 years that offers an opportunity to examine the political determinants of significant variation in reform strategy across the Mexican states. This research builds upon studies of the causes of levels of social spending in Europe and Latin America by moving from cross-national analysis to cross-state comparison within a single federal system. Furthermore, it contributes both theoretically and empirically to a nascent literature on the politics of social policy reform in developing countries in the context of economic structural adjustment policies. An in depth examination of three case studies- -Guanajuato, Michoacan, and Puebla - -are nested within a broad statistical analysis of the 32 federal units (31 states and the Federal District) in Mexico. The latter utilize data gathered from statistical and educational institutions in Mexico City, and the former are based upon interviews with politicians, teacher union officials, business leaders, and educators in each of the three cases. The research can contribute a broad social understanding of how social policies change in response to market liberalization. In addition to its contribution to political science, this study adds to debates on curricular reform and the socioeconomic returns to education by highlighting the political viability of policy suggestions. Finally, this research contributes practically to economic development strategies by offering insight into the political feasibility of policies that offer higher levels of educational access and quality to people in developing countries.