Mexico

Mexican Miracle▪Rapidly increasing GNP

▪Orderly transition from authoritarian to democratic

▪Newly industrialized

▪ Transitional democracy

Legitimacy ▪ Spanish rule until 1821

▪ Viceroy – governor placed by Spanish King

▪ Revolution of 1910-11

▪ Creation of PRI in 1929

▪ Sexenios – single six year term of the president

▪ Pendulum Theory – back and forth effect of socialist reforms and free markets

▪ State Corporatist Structure – central authoritarian rule that allows input from interest groups outside government

Political Culture

Stages of Development

▪Colonialism

▪Chaos

▪Economic Development

Historic Traditions

▪Authoritarianism

▪ Populism

▪ Power Plays

▪ Instability

Geography

▪Diverse and Varied

▪Mountains and Desert

▪Natural Resources

▪ Long Border with US

▪ Large Urban Population

Political and Economic Change

▪ Mexico has had many cycles of power and at times has lacked political and economic stability–Heterogeneity–Catholicism▪Military▪US cession–Porfiriato–Constitution–Cardenas

▪ Agriculture and Mining

▪ Dependency on US

▪ Natural Resources

▪ Industrialization

Modern Mexico

▪Caudillos–Zapata and Villa

▪Constitution (1917)

▪Catholic Church

▪ PRI (sexenio)

▪Redistribution of Land

▪Nationalization of Industry

▪ Investment in Public Works

▪Encourage Unions

▪Concentration in Presidency

People of Mexico

Cleavages

▪Urban v. Rural

▪Social Class

▪Mestizo v. Amerindian

▪North v. South

Protests

▪ Tlatelolco Plaza

▪Zapatista Uprising

▪Oaxaca Teachers’ Strike

People of Mexico

Participation ▪ Revolution and Protest

▪ Patron-clientelism–Caudillos – loyal

supporters–Camarilla – hierarchical

networks

▪ Legitimate, regular elections

Civil Society

▪ State Corporatism–PRI–Labor–Peasants–Middle Class

Institutions (political)

Parties▪ PRI– Coalition of elites– Small town, south– Rural, less educated

▪ PAN– Business interests– Religious, middle class– Educated, free markets

▪ PRD– Social justice– Urban, younger

State Corporatist Structure▪ Educational Workers’

Union

▪ Ejido – land grants from gov.

▪ Opening of the media

Institutions (government)

▪ Strong Executive

▪ Large Bureaucracy– Para-statal ▪ Semi-autonomous

agencies▪ PEMEX

▪ No independent judiciary

▪ Code Law

▪ Six year resignations

▪ Legislature– Chamber of Deputies– Senate

▪ Diverse representations

▪ De-politicized military– Political favors– Drug deals

Issues

▪ Economy– Growing gap between rich and

poor– Rapid and unplanned

urbanization▪ Cuts in government spending▪ Debt reduction▪ Privitization

– Maquiladora District– Trade Agreement▪ GATT/WTO▪ NAFTA

▪ Immigration Policy

▪ Drug Trafficking

▪ Ethnic Rebellion

▪ Democracy/Electoral Reform– Campaign finance restrictions– Critical media coverage– International watch teams– Election monitoring– “Pact for Mexico”