Mexico emerged from its struggle for Independence with the untried Constitution of 1824 as a political guide for a people which had never known self-government. Almost immediately suggestions for amendments to this document were offered for public approval. These proposals were termed 'Plans' and for decades under this rubric they were steadily floated before the public. An analytical commentary accompanying this collection analyzes the unique role of the 'Plan' as a political instrument consciously used in the development of public policy.