Analysis of the current policy agenda for improving regional competitiveness and social cohesion in Yucatán must take into account the implications of recent political and economic transformations at both the national and state levels. Since the turn of the 21st century, both Mexico and Yucatán have experienced tremendous political and economic change. On the one hand, new forms of government, in Yucatán –and at the national level- have opened up new opportunities for more inclusive civic and political engagement. In addition, NAFTA and other free market policy reforms in Mexico and abroad have created unprecedented opportunities for some regions, while some others have lagged behind resulting in profoundly reconfigured economic landscapes, and concomitant livelihoods, throughout the country. On the other hand, due to political and economic change, policymakers at both state and national levels have devoted much of their energies in recent years to developing and implementing regulatory and institutional frameworks that were largely missing, poorly enforced, or improperly designed under previous administrations.