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This article argues that the low levels of descriptive representation of women in local political office in Mexico and Latin America is much more than a problem of the purported patriarchal cultures of indigenous and rural communities. We claim, based on a comprehensive survey of 466 municipal governments in the indigenous state of Oaxaca, that the underrepresentation of women is a function of institutions limiting female candidates. We test this "candidate supply" hypothesis, adapted from USbased studies, against the hypothesis that culture-as measured by indigenous ethnicity-has an independent effect on women's representation. We disconfirm that patriarchal, traditionalist cultures of indigenous communities cause underrepresentation in the election of women and instead find that a particular set of local institutions, which are more prevalent in indigenous municipalities, blocks the supply of potential women candidates. We conclude by considering the normative implications for women's representation in local politics in Mexico and Latin America.

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Using comparative qualitative methods based on extensive field research, this chapter examines the process through which 10 migrants became politically engaged and influential actors in their home communities. The analysis shows that the most influential migrant political actors from the state of Oaxaca have entered the fray in opposition to dominant powers back home. In contrast, the migrants who have been most influential in the states of Guanajuato and Zacatecas have tended to be mobilized by and act in support of the dominant parties in their states. The institutionalization of the state–migrant relationship in Guanajuato and Zacatecas facilitates migrant social and political engagement with governing parties. In contrast, the exclusion of migrants from influence in Oaxaca helps explain why migrants often oppose the governing party; and their experiences of exploitation and resistance as migrants in Mexico and California radicalized many of the most influential migrant leaders.