Organized Crime and Democratic Governability: Mexico and the U.S.–Mexican Borderlands. Edited by John Bailey and Roy Godson. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000. 271p. $50.00 cloth, $22.95 paper

Organized Crime and Democratic Governability offers an insightful look at one of the most critical and vexing questions of the contemporary era: To what extent is democratic governance possible when it coexists with organized crime? John Bailey' and Roy Godson's edited volume analyzes the many dimensions of the deeply entrenched obstacles to democratic stability in modern Mexico, perhaps an ideal case study for such an inquiry. The reach of organized crime there has long tended to undermine the very lifeblood of democracy, namely, its procedures. As a result, throughout the sweep of Mexico's postrevolutionary history, the roots of democracy have not been firmly planted. This chronic condition cannot quickly be remedied. Consequently, the editors conclude, organized crime in its various manifestations will continue to present “a significant challenge to democratic governability in Mexico†(p. 218).