For much of the 20th and early 21st centuries, Mexico experienced a number of political, economic, and social upheavals that propelled the nation into the world's news cycle. Internal conflicts have included a growing problem with violent crime and drug cartels, as well as high levels of poverty and obstacles to upward mobility for the Mexican population. International affairs, especially relations with the United States over the security of the border between the two nations and the fate of NAFTA, have garnered much attention in the past several years. This book seeks to explain the political, economic, and social climate of Mexico, and examines the current issues facing the third-largest country in North America.