The keys of the Supreme Court: political fragmentation and constitutional litigation in Mexico

Abstract

The Supreme Court adjudicated almost two-thousand cases of its exclusive jurisdiction over the 15-year period following the 1994 judicial reform, a reform intended to transform the Court into an effective arbitrator of Mexico’s federalism and separation of powers. This figure contrasts with the only 63 cases submitted to the Court
from 1917 to 1994. What factors explain such a significant increase in constitutional litigation? This paper explores the effects of political fragmentation on litigation through an original dataset of all actions of unconstitutionality and constitutional controversies presented before the Court in the period 1995-2010.