Bright Beginnings, Failed Finales: The Sexenio Pattern of US Perceptions of Mexican Counter Narcotics Efforts

US perceptions of Mexican counter narcotics policy reveal a consistent pattern. Since each administration enters office pledging policy modifications that will result in success, the US government greets each new sexenio with anticipation and expectations of victory. By the end of the sexenio, drug trafficking and production continue, basically unabated, and the United States laments that the presidential administration is unable (or unwilling) to combat it. The incoming administration is viewed as a savior, the key to winning the war on drugs. Thus, the cycle begins anew.