The people could not elect their representatives. Members of parliament, governors and administrative posts at different levels were held by Porfirian politicians, preventing the participation of the new middle classes.  The exercise of power was centralised in the president and his cabinet. The legislative and judicial branches depended on the executive and favoured the ruling and landed classes.

Mexico experienced a rise of nationalism, both political and economic. It grew out of the discontent of businessmen and professionals who resented the economic privileges the government gave to foreign businessmen.

Both the advanced age of Díaz and many members of his cabinet as well as the lack of consensus on a successor undermined the regime. A new generation of young leaders emerged, eager to enter political life, and resenting the lack of opportunities to do so.

President Díaz's statements to the American journalist Creelman for Pearson's Magazine in 1908 were the spark that ignited the revolution. In the interview, Díaz claimed that the Mexican people were ready for democracy and that he was considering not running for the presidency in 1910. Díaz never thought that these statements to a foreign media would be translated and published in Mexico a few days later, causing political uproar.

The French influence in culture and customs was resented and criticised.

There were great class inequalities and a gulf between the rich and poor.  This led to abject poverty and a lack of healthcare and eduction provision.  Infant mortatlity rates were staggering with 29% of males born in 1900 dying within the year.  Less than 25% of the population was literate.
Social tensions were rooted in the absense of labor rights (see below) for workers and the system of land ownership. 

There was hostility towards foreign owned companies exploiting Mexico's resources and land.  There were protests by workers against the high wages given to US workers.

Absence of labour rights: strikes and trade unions were forbidden; protests were repressed with force. Examples include the murder of workers during the Cananea (1906) and Rio Blanco (1907) strikes.

Inequality of land ownership: most of the land formed large estates amounting to thousands and sometimes millions of acres, while ninety-seven per cent of the rural population owned no land and worked for the landowners who owned the haciendas.  Debt bondage existed on the Yucatán peninsula, and slavery-like conditions existed on some tropical plantations.  Landowners paid poor wages, often in vouchers that were only accepted at the hacienda's own stores, where prices were exorbitant. As a result, peasants were indebted to the hacienda owner. These debts, often unpayable, were passed down from father to son.

Diaz´s economy was too dependent on other countries. Following an economic crisis in international markets in 1907, foreign investment in Mexico slowed down. This crisis caused the increase of food prices. In addition, the closure of factories and the reduction of work in the mines led to wages falling and to a rise in unemployment.  To make matters worse, the cost of living in the cities was too high for urban workers, who lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.