Political History/Culture | Political Process | Instititutions | Public Policy | Key Terms

MEXICO

political history/culture

Historical Background

PRE-COLUMBIAN

• ca. A.D. 001-650/ Classic Mayan civilization in the Yucatan peninsula
• early 1300s/ Aztec arrive in the Valley of Mexico

COLONIAL (Spain colonized Mexico after a military-religious-political conquest)

• 1519-1521/ Hernan Cortes and about 700 men conquer the Aztec Empire
• (early sixteenth century) Colonial administration established. European settlers pour
  into colony seeking wealth. Native population decimated by disease and harsh labor practices.

EARLY INDEPENDENCE

• 1821- Mexico declares independence but Spain does not recognize it
• 1846- Mexican/American War after the annexation of Texas
• 1857- The 1857 Constitution promulgated
• 1876- “Porfiriato” Porfirio Diaz leads rebellion on platform of “no reelection” and starts
  his presidential career, which lasts for thirty-four years (except 1880-1884), of “order
  and progress.” Finances, trade, industry, and mining sector modernized. Political
  ideology based on positivism

POST 1910

• Rebellion spreads throughout Mexico
• Emiliano Zapata publishes Plan of Ayala demanding quick reforms.
• 1911- Madero forces Diaz out of power warlords push him out
• Chaos- No President between 1917 and 1929- Caudillos (military generals/warlords)
  fighting for power
• “National Identity” becomes apparent
• Religion- Roman Catholic- separation of church and state established in 1873
• 1917- Constitution of 1917 promulgated

POST 1929

• 1929- Founding of official political party- National Revolutionary Party (Partido
  Nacional Revolucionario- PNR). Pascual Ortiz Rubio elected president of country, but
  Calles remains as recognized political boss. (PRI)
• 1934-1940/ Lazaro Cardenas presidency. Cardenas begins socialist policies. Agrarian
  reform establishes ejidos and collectivization. Nationalization of oil industry in 1938.
• 1988-1994/ Carlos Salinas becomes President. Continuation of austerity policies leads to
  upturn in economy. Government takes steps to control corruption. Free-trade measures
  introduced. Mexico joins North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Measures
  taken to open governorships to opposition parties. Guerrilla group, Zapatista Army of
  National Liberation (Ejercito Zapatosta de Liberacion Nacional- NZLN) appears in
  Chiapas. PRI nominee for next sexenio, Donald Luis Colosio Murrieta assassinated.
• 1994-2000/ Ernesto Zedillo presidency. Devaluation of new peso leads to investor panic
  and near-economic collapse; massive foreign intervention required to stabilize situation.
  Military action against Zapatistas results in stalemate. Former President Salinas leaves
  country in disgrace amid charges of corruption and possible involvement in series of
  assassinations.

Geography

• Divided through regions because of terrain, ethnic boundaries, lacks infrastructure
  Shares a 2000 mile border with the United States (drug trafficking big issue)

Political Culture

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

• 94.8 billion (8 million in Mexico City)
• About 90 percent of population Roman Catholic
• Predominantly mestizo society (60 percent); 30 percent indigenous; 9 percent European;
  1 percent other
• Health care personnel and facilities generally concentrated in urban areas; care in rural
  areas confined to understaffed clinics operated mostly by medical graduate students. Life
  expectancy in 1996 estimated at seventy-three years. Infant mortality twenty-six per
  1,000 live births. Leading causes of death infections, parasitic diseases, and respiratory
  and circulatory system failures.
• Rich and poor social gap
• Rural vs. Urban
• North vs. South – south in the poorest region
• 40% below the poverty line

ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

• Free market economy
• Neo-liberal economic development model- stresses the need to give much freer rein to
  market forces (attract foreign investment)
• NAFTA
• Nationalization of oil industry (PEMEX)
• Fight against peso inflation
• Bracero program in the late 60’s

ETHNIC, CASTE, RELIGIOUS GROUPS

• About 90 percent of population Roman Catholic
• Predominantly mestizo society (60 percent); 30 percent indigenous; 9 percent European;
  1 percent other
• Separation of Church and State which in the 1917 Constitution the provision was ignored
  and the church cooperated with the gov’t and posed no treat to the party.
• Indigenous regions predominately in the south
• Mestizos- mix of European culture and the natives
• Zapatistas in Chiapas

Ideologies

POLITICAL CORRUPTION

• Bribery for government votes (necessities like food, clothing, build roads, etc.)
• Legitimate with loyal opposition parties (PAN and PRD)
• Federal Election Agencies independent of the government in charge of political process
• Seen as a necessary evil in order to get benefits from the system

1910 Rebellion stressed democracy, social justice, need for national unity, and popular origins
of the regime in power

• Narco-politicos- public officials in league with the corrupt police and drug lords
• Voting is mandatory
• High sense of political efficacy- influence of political learning after childhood and
  adolescence

The political process

Elites

• Patron-client
• Camarillas
• El Presidente (chosen through dedazo)
• Recruit:
  Middle class
  Homogeneous
  Capitalinos
  Technocrats
  Kinship ties
  Politicos

Political Participation

IFE (Federal Electoral Institution)

• This group makes sure that elections are carried out fairly and democratically
  Political efficacy was never high in Mexico until recently because of the PRI regime in
  power dictating the people
• The PRI went into villages are helped needy people in exchange for votes
  Voting mandate (at 18 it is mandatory to vote)

Petitioning and contacting local officials is a very common way for the Mexican people to get
their voice heard (next to voting)

CACIQUES

• Pressure for the PRI local representatives to keep the party legitimate

institutions

The Executive Branch

• Presidency is paramount institution
• 6 year term, “six-year monarchy”
• Can never be reelected, no vice president
• Congress appoints an interim president when needed
• Appoint and dismiss cabinet and all executive employees, mayor of Federal District,
  magistrates of Supreme Court, ambassadors
• Appointment authority extends down through bureaucracy (patron-client)
• President is “ultimate” patron
• Salinas brought about dismissal of corrupt PRI members
• Cabinet rarely meets as a body
• Hierarchy of influence
• Secretary succeeds the president (traditionally)
• Dedazo- personal appointment of next president

Legislative Branch

• Bicameral Congress
• Senate and Chamber of Deputies
• Discussion and approval of legislation, ratification of high-level presidential
  appointments
• Two ordinary sessions per year
• Senate- 128 members, 4 for each state, one for every four goes to party that comes in
  second place
• Chamber of Deputies- 500 members, 200 by proportional representation (remainder
  from single-member districts)
• Right to pas laws, impose taxes, declare war, approve national budget, etc
• Senate hears all matters concerning foreign policy
• Chamber of Deputies addresses matters of budget, internal affairs
• Joining committee compromises between two bodies when there is a disagreement on a
  piece of legislation

Judicial Branch

• Divided into federal and state systems
• Highest court is Supreme Court of Justice – 21 magistrates, 5 auxiliary judges, all
  appointed by president
• Appointed for life, subject to impeachment
• 5 chambers in high court
• 3 levels of federal courts- Collegiate Circuit Courts, Unitary Circuit Courts, and District
  Courts (Judges appointed by Supreme Court)
• Collegiate Circuit Court is comparable to US courts of Appeals
• Legal system based on Mexican civil law, some influence of common law
• Strict adherence to legal codes
• Mexican Supreme Court is prohibited by constitution from applying its ruling beyond
  any individual case
• Seldom attempts to contradict the president

State Government Structure

• 31 states and a Federal District, each state has a constitution
• Highly centralized, state governments depend on Mexico City for revenue
• Headed by governor, directly elected, 6 year term, may not be reelected
• Federal District traditionally falls under supervision of President, mayor holds cabinet
  rank as head of Department of the Federal District

Local Government Structure

• Basic unit of Mexican government is municipality, more than 2,000 of them
• Responsible for water, electricity, sewerage, public safety, maintenance of public facilities
• Headed by mayor
• Municipalities can raise revenue and formulate budgets
• President de la Madrid reformed structure so that federal funds could be directly
  funneled to municipalities, bypass state government’s control over municipal finances

Public policy

• Internal Order
• External Security
• Ethnic Group Conflicts
• Raising Money
• Human Rights
• Narcotics Trafficking
• Chiapas Rebellion
• NAFTA
• Healthcare & Education

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