What was historically significant about the 2000 presidential election?

• A. It ended the PRI's 71-year hold on the presidency, signaling a competitive multi-party system.
• B. It marked the first time a third-party won the presidency with no PRI involvement.
• C. It resulted in an immediate coalition government with the PRI.
• D. It led to constitutional reforms that abolished the presidency.

Answer: (A)

The main idea this question tests is that the 2000 presidential election in Mexico marked a turning point from one-party rule to a competitive multi-party democracy. Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) won, ending the PRI’s 71-year grip on the presidency. This shown that power could transfer between major parties through elections, not through force or a single-party system, signaling democratic consolidation in Mexico.

This wasn't about a coalition government with the PRI, nor about abolishing the presidency. It wasn’t a simple “third-party” win in the sense of a minor or fringe actor; it was a major opposition party breaking the long-standing dominance of the PRI and proving that a peaceful, electoral transition of power was possible.