Mexico’s Historical Mexico’s Historical FoundationsFoundations

Legitimacy

►Revolution of 1910-1917 – Mexicans have admired revolutionary leaders throughout their history Charisma is highly valued as a leadership

characteristic

► Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) – helped legitimize the revolution, served as an important source of government legitimacy until the late 20th century

►Constitution of 1917

“The Porfiriato”

►Porfirio Diaz►Military general under Benito Juarez►Staged military coup in 1876►Instituted himself as president of Mexico,

promised he would serve no more than one term

►Ruled Mexico for 34 years with an iron hand►Cientificos – young, educated advisors of Diaz

that believed in bringing scientific and economic progress to Mexico

Influences of Porfiriato

►Stability – Diaz dictatorship ended years of conflict and chaos

►Authoritarianism – no sharing of political power beyond small, closed elite group

►Foreign Investment/Economic Growth – cientificos encouraged entrepreneurship and foreign investment, primarily from the U.S., resulted in growth of business and industry

►Growing Gap between Rich & Poor – as a result of development and industrialization

Influences of the Mexican Revolution

►Patron-client System

►Constitution of 1917

►Conflict with Catholic Church

►Establishment of the PRI

Constitution of 1917

►Ended the Revolution Violence & political assassinations continued Patron-client relationships important avenues to power

►Mexican constitution very long and easily amended

►Set up structure for Democratic Government (Political Institutions resemble those of the U.S.) Three branches of Government Competitive Elections Most public officials directly elected by the people

Conflict with Church after Revolution

►Cristeros Rebellion (1920s)►Hundreds of Thousands Killed (Priests murdered)

►Liberals legally separated Church & State, viewed church as a bastion of conservatism

►Priests continued to lead rebellions after Liberal changes, contributes to chaos of 20th century

Establishment of PRI (Institutional Revolutionary

Party)► After years of conflict, President Calles brought

caudillos (political-military leaders) together for an agreement in 1929

► Attempted to bring all caudillos under one big, umbrella political party Brought stability through the idea of “passing

around” power from one leader to the next as presidency changed hands►Sexenios – president could only serve one 6-year term►Other leaders would be given major positions in

government to establish their influence►PRI- “institutionalized” the revolution by stabilizing

conflict between leaders► In power from 1929-2000

Cardenas Presidency (1934-1940)

► Gave voice to peasant demands from the Revolution of 1910

► Redistribution of Land – land taken away from big landlords, foreigners and redistributed to peasants

► Nationalization of Industry – foreign business owners kicked out of country, most industry put under control of the state. Ex: PEMEX – giant, government controlled oil company

► Encouragement of Peasant & Union Organizations

► Concentration of Power in Presidency – Cardenas stabilized presidency, when his sexenio was up he peacefully let go of power

Cardenas and ISI

►Cardenas’ strategy of state-led development known as Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) Employed high tariffs to protect locally

produced goods from foreign competition Government ownership of key industries Government subsidies to domestic

industries Government took lead in promoting

industrialization (very little capital in private hands during this era)

The Pendulum Theory

►Miguel Aleman became president in 1946 Encouraged entrepreneurship Foreign investment Free-market strategies on exports

► Followed by president who returned to Cardenas-style reform

►Pendulum Theory – back-and-forth effect in Mexican politics from socialist reform to free-market economic development and back again

►By the 1970s the pendulum appeared to stop with the emergence of the tecnicos

The Tecnicos

►Tecnicos – educated, business-oriented leaders usually with degrees in economics, political science, business, etc.

►Tecnicos in the PRI support the free-market approach to politics

►By the 1980s Mexico had settled into an economic approach based upon Neoliberalism Free markets Balanced budgets Privatization Free trade Limited government intervention in the economy

“Tecnicos & Politicos”

►By 1950s Mexico welcomed foreign investment►GNP experienced spectacular growth until the

1980s►This “Mexican Miracle” based largely on

huge supplies of natural gas & oil►Mexico became a model for LDC’s everywhere► “Oil Bust” of the early 1980s, plummeting price

of oil sunk the Mexican economy and inflated the value of the peso

►This caused added political tension within the PRI

Election of 2000Election of 2000

►First time in over 70 years that a First time in over 70 years that a candidate from a party other than PRI candidate from a party other than PRI elected presidentelected president

►Also, first time that the presidential Also, first time that the presidential nominee of the Institutional nominee of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) not chosen Revolutionary Party (PRI) not chosen by sitting president, instead chosen by sitting president, instead chosen through an open primarythrough an open primary

President Vicente Fox (2000-President Vicente Fox (2000-2006)2006)

President Felipe Calderon President Felipe Calderon (2006-present)(2006-present)

The Dependency Theory and The Dependency Theory and MexicoMexico

►Economic Dependency – a less developed country is often dependent on developed countries for economic support and trade. Balanced trade is generally the key, a country is said to be “developing” when it begins relying less on the stronger country/countries to keep it afloat financially

►Mexico joined NAFTA in 1994 Trade between member nations increased,

Mexico able to diversify and become less dependent on oil, but Mexico became more dependent on the US

Mexico in Transition

►Mexico characterized by economic and political transition

►Authoritarianism under the PRI has been replaced by competitive elections, although political hostilities still exist

►Economic dependency and underdevelopment slowly being transformed as public policies have been supportive of a free market economy, yet a backlash against neoliberalism has continued

► “Developed”, “Developing”, or “Less Developed”, how do we classify Mexico?

Today’s Policy IssuesToday’s Policy Issues

►Growing gap between rich & poor►Rapid/unplanned urbanization has led

to rampant pollution

Issues of Democracy

► Election Reform

CFE (Federal Election Reform) – created as an independent regulatory body to safeguard honest and accurate election results

Campaign Finance Restriction – laws that limit campaign contributions

International Watch Teams – so Mexico could convince other countries that elections are fair and competitive

Election monitoring – done by opposition party members