A unique undertaking and a delight. By putting Mexico and China side by side and setting the task of comparison in an entirely new context, the editors are able to tackle many of the old questions about political culture, political development, and state-society relations in entirely new and original ways.

Timothy Brook, Stanford University

This erudite volume is exemplary of what all good edited books should do but too often fail to achieve. All the contributors focus on a common theme [and] they have a lively dialogue adressing one another's work....This important volume provides a most lucid, systematic, and up-to-date survey of the important literature in this field.

China Review International

A most lucid, systematic, and up-to-date survey of the important literature in this field. . . . This erudite volume is exemplary f what all good edited books should do but too often fail to achieve.

Maria Chan Morgan, Earlham College, China Review International

This book is certainly a good starting point for comparative studies. It sheds light on such important issues as free market economies and an empowered civil society that would be in favor of an operative democratic system.

Journal of Asian Studies

This book comes at a time when Mexico, after a process of market reforms, is confronting a historical legacy of authoritarianism. Triggered by economic and political opening, Mexico's civil society is demanding a deep democratic transformation of the Mexican state. This book puts forth some of the practical and theoretical contradictions and difficulties a country faces while trying to adapt to both rapid economic and political change.

Emilio Zebadúa, advisor, Instituto Federal Electoral (Mexico)