The political sources of amendment difficulty: a comparative study of the United States and Mexico

Mariana Velasco Rivera

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In her doctoral dissertation, Mariana developed a theory of constitutional change that explains the reasons for Mexico’s high formal amendment rate between 1917-2017. Said theory is based on the notion of the political construction of amendment difficulty. This notion’s core idea is that amendment difficulty is not institutionally determined, but that it depends on certain factors, such as the party system, constitutional culture, and decisions by key political actors. Mariana’s current research is focused on applying her theory of constitutional change to the United States as a case study.