MEXICO Nora Hamilton, The Limits of State Autonomy: Post Revolu- tionary Mexico (Princeton University Press, 1982). $36, cloth; $8.95, paper, 410 pgs. Excellent study of historical and struc- tural explanations of the modern Mexican state. Identifies characteristics of the pre-revolutionary order, contradictions within it which resulted in the revolution, and the effect of the revolution on the relations between the state and dominant and subordinate classes. Embraces recent debates on class/state relations as well as the numerous re-examinations of Mexico’s political history, greatly enriching the reader’s understanding of state theory and Mexican development. (Princeton Univer- sity Press, 3175 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.) Peter H. Smith, Labyrinths of Power: Political Recruitment in Twentieth-Century Mexico (Princeton University Press, 1979). $35, cloth; $11.50, paper, 400 pgs. A detailed study of the class composition of the political elite in 20th century Mexico through a computer analysis of the career paths of 6,000 indi- viduals who held national political office between 1900 and 1976. Concludes that the 1910 revolution did not actually alter the class composition of the political elite, but merely redistrib- uted power within the ruling class. Adds an important histori- cal dimension to studies of Mexican elites, thereby adding to understanding of elite transformation and how an authoritarian (defined by limited pluralism) system operates. (Princeton University Press.) Roderic A. Camp, Mexican Political Biographies, 1935-1975 (University of Arizona Press, 2nd edition, 1982). $35, cloth, 447 pgs. Biographies of men prominent in public life from 1935 to mid-1980. Includes origins; education; interest group association; elective, party and bureaucratic positions. Col- lectively, they document incremental changes in career paths and recruitment patterns. While less interesting than Smith’s work, still a valuable resource. (University of Arizona Press, Sunnyside Building, 250 E. Valencia, Tucson, AZ 85706.) Merilee S. Grindle, Official Interpretations of Rural Underde- velopment: Mexico in the 1970s (Working Paper in U.S.-Mexi- can Studies, #20, University of California, 1981). $3, paper, 51 pgs. An excellent study of rural development efforts of the last 10 years, comparing policies for rural development under former presidents Echeverria and Lopez Portillo. Based on fieldwork, interviews and government documents. Author concludes that neither Echeverria’s commitment to ejido de- velopment nor Lopez Portillo’s more accommodationist poli- cies succeeded in either raising agricultural productivity or im- proving rural welfare–due in part to institutional obstacles, but primarily to their failure to confront the fundamental im- compatibility of subsistence production with large-scale capi- talist production. (Publications Coordinator, Program in U.S.-Mexican Studies, Q-060, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92092.) Cassio Luiselli, The Sistema Alimentario Mexicano (SAM): Ele- ments of a Program of Accelerated Production of Basic Food- stuffs in Mexico (Research Report Series, #22, 1982). $3, paper, 28 pgs. Luiselli was a member of Lopez Portillo’s cabi- net responsible for the design and implementation of the rural development program. Less an analysis (or even a systematic statement of goals and intent) than a PR piece, and useful only to see the changes in emphasis from the Echeverria program and their justification. (Program in U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California.) John J. Bailey and John E. Link, Statecraft and Agriculture in Mexico, 1980-1982: Domestic and Foreign Policy Considera- tions in the Making of Mexican Agricultural Policy (Working Paper in U.S.-Mexican Studies, #23, University of California, 1981). $3, paper, 42 pgs. A preliminary, skeptical response to the creation of SAM, a policy developed by an “elite advisory group” in the president’s office without consultation with either peasant and farmer groups or important agricultural agencies. Bailey and Link criticize SAM’s failure to anticipate organized resistance. While vague and inconclusive, these re- marks point to the theme running through all these papers: the enormous importance of broad-based political participation in development programs. (Program in U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California.) Carlos de Gortari, Political Participation, Public Investment, and Support for the System: A Comparative Study of Rural Communities in Mexico (Research Report Series, #35, 1982). $3, paper, 47 pgs. Written by a PRI member and director of its Institute of Political, Economic and Social Studies, this is not the self-congratulatory study one might expect. Serious at- tempt to evaluate the ability of the Echeverria program to obtain the active participation of campesinos in target areas, includ- ing an implicit objective of awakening in them “a sense of dependence upon and loyalty toward the State.” Study found that the mode of participation which the government has en- couraged as a strategy for rural modernization-community problem solving-is negatively correlated with support for the system. (Program in U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California.) Manuel L. Carlos, State Policies, State Penetration, and Ecology: A Comparative Analysis of Uneven Development and Underdevelopment in Mexico’s Micro Agrarian Regions (Working Paper in U.S.-Mexican Studies, #19, 1981). $3, paper, 41 pgs. A poor attempt to apply concepts from political geography to differential regional development. Defines devel- opment in terms of degree of integration with the national market, then classifies regions according to their ties with state agencies (and market-oriented programs), concluding that underdevelopment results from inadequate numbers of such ties. A circular argument unaided by maps or other iden- tifying criteria for various regions. (Program in U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California.)
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