Conclusion

Abstract

This closing chapter summarizes the central argument in this book and the evidence supporting it. Beginning with a brief look at the merendero program initiated in 2017 by the Rodríguez-Saá machine in response to an electoral setback, this chapter offers a discussion of the findings of this book and the implications of this study for the consolidation of democracy in Argentina and Mexico. This study’s findings also have implications for the many other uneven emerging democracies around the world that confront the persistence of subnational political machines. Also addressed are the ways in which attention to subnational political processes can further the understanding of a society’s political culture and the forces that shape individuals’ attitudes toward and engagement with their political world. Finally, this chapter brings the reader’s attention to several avenues for future research that this book begins to explore.