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The Participation Paradox of Indigenous Autonomy in Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Jonathan T. Hiskey  and
Gary L. Goodman
Jonathan T. Hiskey
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University. j.hiskey@vanderbilt.edu
Gary L. Goodman
Affiliation:
Marshall Goldsmith School of Management at Alliant International Universityggoodman2@alliant.edu
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Abstract

As indigenous movements around the world seek to strengthen their collective voice in their respective political systems, efforts continue to design political institutions that offer both sufficient local autonomy and incentives to participate in the broader political system. The state of Oaxaca, Mexico, offers a test case of one such effort at indigenous-based institutional design. This article argues that such reforms often fail to confront the tension between local autonomy and citizen engagement in politics outside the borders of the community. Testing this theory through a comparative analysis of voter turnout rates in municipalities across the state of Oaxaca and the neighboring state of Guerrero, this study finds that the adoption of indigenous institutions at the local level is associated with significantly lower voter turnout rates for national elections.

Type
Research Article
Information
Latin American Politics and Society , Volume 53 , Issue 2 , Summer 2011 , pp. 61 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 2011

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