The authoritarian character of Mexico’s political system precludes most of the effects usually associated with the increased power and influence of technocrats. For one, electoral politics in Mexico are semicompetitive in nature, with elections largely pro-forma events. Another is the absence of a professional civil service, where political skills are more important in obtaining top posts in the bureaucracy. Also, the government enjoys greater political freedom so that the country’s leaders are less limited by politics than those in more democratic and less centralized governments.
