This work investigates the transformative period of Mexican development between 1940 and 1960, questioning how the nation transitioned from the immediate post-revolutionary era into a period of rapid industrialization and institutional stability. Howard F. Cline, a noted historian and director of the Hispanic Foundation at the Library of Congress, utilizes extensive archival data and economic indicators to argue that this era represented a fundamental shift in the Mexican state's approach to governance, social policy, and international relations. The text provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the consolidation of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the subsequent economic policies that defined the 'Mexican Miracle.'

Historians and scholars of Latin American studies frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the mid-century institutionalization of the Mexican state. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous resource for those studying the political economy of the region during this specific historical window.