The dependency model of mass media effects predicts that dependency on media information increases as the level of societal structural conflict and change increase, resulting in greater mass media influence. However, this model appears to ignore the structural constraints that a nation's political system can have on media even before they deliver a message. Because the model may not fit Mexico's oligarchical power structure well, a study tested several dependency model hypotheses relating the perspectives of population elites in Mexico to the perspective of mass media. Two separate surveys in 1976 and 1979 provided data from which five different groups of subjects were defined: 100 mass media elites, 700 occupational elites, 411 upper SES (socioeconomic status) in 1976, 200 upper SES in 1979, and 500 Mexico City general public. A common set of items assessing Mexico's shared economic interests with 10 different partners was used in each survey. Analysis of the data indicated that the strongest economic identification was with the Latin American oil exporting countries, particularly for upper SES and occupational elites. Further analysis aimed at revealing how the various groups structure their views suggested that perceptions of Mexico's ties may be characterized by a set of underlying assumptions; still differences in the structure of perceptions did exist. These results suggest that current dependency models need to be modified to reflect other recurring and habitual channels of communication. (Definitions of items used in the study are appended.) (JL)