The United Mexican States

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The United Mexican States



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History

• Spanish conquistadores invaded aland previously inhabited only bynative peoples

• However, Mexico was still part of the viceroyalty of Spain

• In 1821, after an 11 year war,Mexico gained its independence

• From 1846-1848 fought a war with America which secured its

northern border



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Mexican Constitutional History

• Constitutions of Mexico

• Mexico has had three constitutions

• 1824 Constitution of Mexico

• Federal Constitution of the United MexicanStates of 1857

• The Constitution of 1917

• Currently operates under theConstitution of 1917 following theMexican Revolution



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• declared Mexico as

independent of Spain• intent to operate under a

popular federal

representative republic• powers divided into three

branches: Executive,Legislative, and Judicial

•

Legislative split into a Chamber of Deputies and Senators

Mexican Constitutional History



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Mexican ConstitutionalHistory


• President serves four years only

•

Slavery is abolished• slave owners are compensated and all

slaves are now freedmen

• Individual states will function under

similar system as federal government• total states amount to 19

• California is still part of the Mexican

government at this time



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• Federal Constitution of the United MexicanStates of 1857

• established after overthrowing AntonioLopez de Santa Ana on1855

• authors split betweenmoderate and pureliberals

• Very similar to last



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• Federal Constitution of the UnitedMexican States of 1857

• established most rights seen in American Bill of Rights

• right to bear arms, freedom of religion,freedom of press, etc.

• Titles of nobility are no longer recognized

• Defined Mexican nationality

•

obligations as citizen and Mexican



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• Federal Constitution of the UnitedMexican States of 1857

• Biggest change since last constitution

• catholic religion no longer mandatory

• no longer protected clergy

• ecclesiastical members no longer allowed

to run for office

• no purchases of property by ecclesiasticalcorporations

• abolition of Juarez's Law




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• The Political Constitution of theUnited Mexican States

• was constructed in the aftermath of

another revolution led by FranciscoMadero in 1910

• that government was ousted by dictator

Victoriano Huerta• supported by U.S. ambassador Henry Lane,

Felix Diaz, and Bernardo Reyes

• this dictator was defeated by

Venustiano Carranza's Guadalupe Plan




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• this constitution was based on the last

one but added another set of newarticles

• presidential term increased from 4 to 6

years• layed basis for a mandatory and lay

education

• essentially outlawed private schooling

•




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• recognized the rights of workers and

unions

• also enacted anti-clerical laws barringthem from certain privelages

• inheritance except from blood relatives• running and holding office

• canvassing for political candidates or parties

• these were passed despite Venustiano'




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• due to the opposition to the anti-clerical

laws a civil war called the Cristero War broke out

• due to this resurgence the laws were madeeven more strict from 1934 to 1946

• However during Pope John Paul II'svisits in the 80s, he wasn't arresteddespite being in violation of the laws

• They were eventually repealed in 1992




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National Government

• Regime Classification

• Federal republic

• Federal

• Representative

• Democratic

• Republic



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Constitutional Framework

• Current Constitution established on February 5,1917

• Convention during the Mexican Revolution of 1910

•

Divided up into 9 “titles”• 136 Articles within the titles

• Multiple significant amendments



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• Title I

• Basic individual rights

•

Outlines what defines a MexicanCitizen

• Outlines what defines a foreigner

• Responsibilities of Mexican citizenry




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• Title II

• National sovereignty and form of government

• Sovereignty and power originate in thepeople

• People have the right to modify thegovernment

• Federal Democratic RepresentativeRepublic

• Free/Sovereign states

• Integral parts of federation and national




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• Title III

• Division of Powers

•

Creation/Function of Legislative Branch• Delegated powers of the Executive

Branch

• The Judicial Branch – process and jurisdiction




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• Title IV/V/VI/VII/VIII/IX

• Responsibilities of Public Officials

•

The States of the Federation• Labor and Social Security

• General Considerations

• Amendments to the Constitution• Inviolability of the Constitution




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Territorial Division

• The country is divided into 31 freeand sovereign states

• Constitution

• Congress

• Judiciary

•

Governor (6 year term)• Representatives to unicameral state

congresses for 3 year terms

• States are divided into municipalitiesmanaged by mayors



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Legislative Branch

• Congress of Mexico

• Senate

• 128 Total seats

• 6 year terms

• Chamber of Deputies

• 500 seats

• 3 year terms

• Elected officials cannot serveconsecutive terms



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CongressionalResponsibilities

• Powers include

• Admitting new states and territories intothe union

• Changing the seat of the supremepowers of the Federation

• Legislating on all matters concerning

the Federal District and Territories• Levying necessary taxes

• Declaring war in light of information

from the executive



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Senate

• Specific responsibilities of theSenate include

• Approving treaties and diplomatic conventions

• Ratifying appointments to public office

• Authorizing the deployment of troops abroad

• Appointing provisional state governors if necessary



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Chamber of Deputies

• Specific powers delegated tothe Chamber of Deputiesinclude

• Supervising the function of and appointingemployees to the Auditor General’s Office

• Approving the annual budget

• Granting or refusing the appointments of

magistrates to the superior court of justice of the Federal District of the Territories



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Legislative Process

• Each chamber is structured arounda system of forty standingcommittees with 20 members each

• Both chambers play an equal role inthe legislative process (symmetricalbicameralism)

• The policymaking process is verysimilar to that of the United States

• Two sessions held per year, but the

President can call special sessions



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• Policies and bills originate and areproposed by the people/localgovernments and the Executive

Branch• Committees study and recommend

bills, and Joint Committees form to

resolve certain disagreements andissues

• Similar to in the U.S. bills are

introduced on the floor of Congress

Legislative Process



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The Executive Branch

• Responsibilities and powers of thePresident

• Execute laws enacted by congress

• Appoint and remove variousgovernment officials, ministers,diplomatic agents, consuls general,

superior officers, and magistrates to thesuperior court

• Declare war

• Direct diplomatic negotiations andnegotiate treaties



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Judicial Branch

• Supreme Court

• 11 justices

• Elected for fifteen year terms

• Jurisdiction includes

• Cases of a civil or criminal nature thatarise from the enforcement andapplication of federal laws and foreigntreaties

• Cases involving admiralty law

• Cases in which the Federation is a



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Social Setting of Politics

• Majority of population is RomanCatholic (76%)

• Protestant - 5.2% (Pentecostal 1.4%,

other 3.8%),• Jehovah's Witnesses - 1.1%,

• Other - 0.3%,

• Unspecified - 13.8%,

• None - 3.1%

• Predominantly Mestizo society (60%)



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Social Cleavages

• North vs. South

• The North is wheremarket forces remain

supreme withshopping malls, andcultural landscapesthat resemble

industrializedcountries. This ispartly due to themaquiladoras, which

are industries and



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• North vs. South• In the South, the Mexican economy is much more

stagnant --- it is where most of the lower GDP/capita inMexico is reflected primarily because there are far more villages with diversified ethnic groups in the

South.• Indigenous regions predominately in the south

• Because of this South-North division that causeseconomic inequalities, illegal immigration fromSouthern Mexicans into the United States across the

border is heavily rampant.

Social Cleavages



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• North vs. South – Indigenous populations are among the

poorest and most marginalized groupsin Mexico.

– Prejudice among broad sectors of thepopulation toward Indians persists.

–

Social Cleavages



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Gender Division

• Although thepolitical arena isstronglydominated bymen, thepresence of women in publicspace has

become morecommon place. Inthe early twenty-first century, for example, theleadership of



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Political Participation

• IFE (FederalElectoralInstitution)

•

This group makessure that electionsare carried out fairlyand democratically.

•

Political efficacywas never high inMexico untilrecently because of the PRI regime’s

power in dictating



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• Political efficacy was very low before2000 because the PRI party wouldconsistently win through election

fraud. However, when Fox waselected president from the PAN partyin 2000, efficacy increased becausepeople began to see that their votes

actually mattered.• The fact that Mexicans are allowed

to create new political parties addsto the sense of political efficacy.




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• Political efficacy was very low before2000 because the PRI party wouldconsistently win through election

fraud. However, when Fox waselected president from the PAN partyin 2000, efficacy increased becausepeople began to see that their votes

actually mattered.

• The fact that Mexicans are allowed

to create new political parties adds




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• Voting

• The Mexican Constitutiongrants universal suffrageto everyone who is over the age of 18

• universal and compulsory(but not enforced)

• No citizens are restrictedbecause of ethnic or religious background

• Petitioning and contactinglocal officials is a very

common way for theMexican eo le to et




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Elections

• Elections in Mexicodetermine who, onthe national level,takes the position of the head of state –the president – aswell as thelegislature.

• The President of Mexico is electedfor a six-year termby the people. The



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• The Chamber of Deputies (Cámarade Diputados)

• 500 members, elected for a three year

term• 300 of whom are elected in single-seat

constituencies by plurality,

•

The remaining 200 members elected byproportional representation in 5 multi-state,40-seat constituencies.

• The Chamber of Senators (Cámara

de Senadores)

Elections



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• To be eligible to serve aspresident, Article 82 of theConstitution specifies thatthe following requirementsmust be met

• Be a natural-born citizen of Mexico able to exercise fullcitizenship rights, with at least oneparent who is a natural-borncitizen of Mexico.

• Be a resident of Mexico for atleast twenty years.

• Be 35 years or older at the time of the election.

• Be a resident of Mexico for theentire year prior to the election

(although absences of 30 days or fewer are explicitly stated not to

President

Incumbent PresidentFelipe Calderón (PAN)



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• More Requirements• Not be an official or minister of any church or religious

denomination.

• Not be in active military service during the six monthsprior to the election.

• Not be a secretary or under-secretary of state, attorneygeneral, governor of a State, or head of the governmentof the Federal District, unless "separated from the post"(resigned or been granted permanent leave of absence)

at least six months prior to the election.• Not have been president already, even in a provisional

capacity

• Until the late 1990s, the overwhelming majority of those elected to public office in Mexico were, in

effect, political appointees named to their positions

President



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Political Parties

• Institutional Revolutionary Party(Partido Revolucionario Institucional,PRI)

• Est. 1929

• Centrist

• 237 Seats in Chamber of Deputies

• 33 Seats in Chamber of Senators

• 19 Governorships

•

National Action Party (Partido Acción



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• Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo, PT)

• 1990

• Left

• 13 Deputies

• 5 Senators

• Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (Partido Verde Ecologista deMéxico, PVE)

•

1993

Political Parties



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Political Parties



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Interest Representation

• Interest Representation in the PRI

• Labor Sector

• Confederation of Mexican Workers

(Confederación de Trabajadores de México,CTM)

• 1936

•

Peasant Sector • National Peasant Confederation

(Confederación Nacional Campesina (CNC)

• 1938

• o u ar ector



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• Corporatism

• Government provides benefits andprivileged access to certain groups in

exchange for loyalty• Other interest groups

• Military

• Church

• Businesses

Interest Representation



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Economic Policy

• GDP: $1.657 trillion

• GDP Per Capita: $15,100

•

Growth Rate: 3.8%• GDP by Sector

• Agriculture (3.9%)

• industry (23.4%)• services (62.9%)



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• Import Substitution Industrialization

• Economic policy that advocatesreplacing foreign imports with domestic

production• Primary policy for most of 20th Century

until 1994

• Neoliberalism• Free market economic policy

• Phased in by 1994

• North American Free Trade

Economic Policy



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Foreign Policy

• United Nations

• A Founding member

•

Diplomacy• Neutral in International Conflicts

• Issues

• Drug trade• Migration



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Social Policy

• Education

– 95% Literacy

– $20Billion Budget

– School system

• Primary School (Primaria): Grades 1-6

• Junior High School (Secundaria): Grades 7-9

• High School (Preparatoria): Grades 10-12

• Undergraduate: 4 years

• Post-Graduate



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• Poverty

– PROGRESA

– Microcredit loans

• Other Issues

– Human Rights

– Corruption

Social Policy



Finito

Documents

The United Mexican States