  We perform a $1/m_b$ and $1/m_t$ expansion of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi- Maskawa
mixing matrix. Data suggest that the dominant parts of the Yukawa couplings are
factorizable into sets of numbers $\vert r>$, $\vert s>$, and $\vert s'>$,
associated, respectively, with the left-handed doublets, the right-handed up
singlets, and the right- handed down singlets. The first order expansion is
consistent with Wolfenstein parameterization, which is an expansion in $sin
\theta _c$ to third order. The mixing matrix elements in the present approach
are partitioned into factors determined by the relative orientations of $\vert
r>$, $\vert s>$, and $\vert s'>$ and the dynamics provided by the subdominant
mass matrices. A short discussion is given of some experimental support and a
generalized Fritzsch model is used to contrast our approach.
