Public evaluations of electoral institutions in Mexico: An analysis of the IFE and TRIFE in the 2006 and 2012 elections

Given the important role of election management in new democracies, this paper explores citizens' opinions of Mexico's key electoral institutions - the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TRIFE) - within the context of the 2006 and 2012 Mexican general elections. Using data from the Mexico 2006 Panel Study and the Mexico 2012 Panel Study, we find that key predictors of public opinion of Mexico's key electoral institutions include support for specific presidential candidates and partisan identification, but also perceptions of electoral integrity, the urban-rural divide, and other socio-demographic variables. In particular, this study finds strong support of a “winner's effect” in the context of the 2006 and 2012 Mexican elections. These findings raise important questions regarding citizens' opinions of Mexico's key electoral institutions.