1. Mexico: Government & Politics

2. KEY CONCEPTS OF MEXICO
Mexican Revolution had a great impact on its political culture and the Constitution of 1917
It has a Presidential system with a legislature that features a mixed PR and a single-member, Federal System of Gov.
One party dominated for 70 years (PRI)
Multi-party system now: PRD, PRI, PAN
Single 6 year term
Fraud was rampant in Mexican politics
Had a corporatist system: PRI distributed benefits to key groups
Camarilla system: network of PRI supporters in federal positions
PRI dominance came to an end in 2000 ( Fox won)
Unstable economy, illegal drug trade, emigration to US
Developing country….NIC ( Newly Industrialized Country)

3. Overview: The Big Picture
System of Government: Presidential
Distribution of Power: Federal System
Electoral System: Mixed System: SMDP and PR
Constitution: Constitution of 1917
Legislature: Bicameral—Chamber of Deputies & Senate
Current Head of State: Enrique Pena Nieto
Head of Government: Enrique Pena Nieto
Current Ruling Party: PRI
Major Political Parties: PRI, PAN, PRD

4. December 1, 2000 – Vicente Fox became President
Why is that important?
For the first time in 71 years, the President of Mexico did not represent the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
Fox is from the National Action Party (PAN)
The other major party in Mexico is the PRD
Current Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto

5. PRI rule was called the perfect dictatorship. Why?
Conflict was limited to internal struggles within the party.
What about those who disagreed?
Dissenters were co-opted with promises or just repressed!
So why the change?

6. Mexicans questioned the right of the PRI to monopolize political power
Wanted fairer elections, more responsive public officials
Demanded the right of opposition parties to compete with the PRI on an equal basis
Said the president had too much power and the PRI was corrupt
Not ready in 1994 when Ernesto Zedillo (PRI) easily won, but by 2000 they had had enough
In the last two decades, reformers wanted Mexico to have a market-oriented economic system to replace the state-dominated one, but…

7. But, it caused problems for citizens
New policies and economic crises affected people adversely. How?
Incomes fell, bankrupt businesses, jobs lost, services cut
But Fox has stuck with these policies, resulting in…
More inequality. The elites are richer, but four out of every ten Mexicans live on less than two dollars a day.
What are the implications of this for the U.S.?
Given this inequality, why has there been no revolution in Mexico?

8. Mexican Geography

9. ~100 million inhabitants makes Mexico the second largest country in Latin America
Largest Spanish speaking country in the world
Over 70% live in urban areas
Mexico City has over 20 million people

10. Borders – U.S. – 2000 miles, Guatemala – 600 miles, Belize – 160 miles
Migration is a major issue; economic opportunities in the industrial cities of the north lead many men and women to seek jobs in the maquiladoras, or assembly factories. Some go on to the U.S.
Problem repeats in reverse in the South, as poorer Central Americans look for jobs in Mexico.

11. Geographic Influence
Never underestimate the power of simple geography to explain (or create) internal differences in a country.
Mexico is one of the most geographically diverse countries in the world
Mountains and Deserts = Regionalism
Varied Climates = size creates different experiences
Natural Resources = create disproportional wealth
A long border with the United States = shadow
111,000,000 People = huge influence on
Urban Population = great impact on political support

12. Mexican History The Porfiriato 1876-1911(Porfirio Diaz)
The Revolution of 1910
Reformers end the dictatorship
Constitution of 1917
Guaranteed agrarian reform, social security, right to organize in unions, minimum wage, eight hour workday, universal secular education, adult male suffrage. Women do not get the right to vote in national elections until 1958.
Lazaro Cardenas
Land reform
Established the tradition of the sexenio
Pancho Villa (right) and Emiliano Zapata meet in Mexico City to discuss the revolution.

13. More Mexican History From clientelism to oil 1940-1982
PRI and Patronage
Oil in the Gulf of Mexico
Fluctuating prices
Crisis and Reform 1982 to the present
Presidents Miguel de la Madrid ( ) and Carlos Salinas ( ) introduce major reversal of the country’s development strategy, limiting the government’s involvement in the economy
NAFTA – 1993
Economic crisis of 1994 and bailout
Mexican economic reforms
Rebellion in Chiapas 1994
Assassination of Luis Donaldo Colosio (1994), PRI candidate for President, and Jose Francisco Ruiz Massieu, secretary-general of the PRI.
Election of Fox in 2000
Election of Felipe Calderon in 2006, narrowly defeating Lopez Obrador of the PRD.

14. Political Culture
Strong Sense of National Identity: Mexicans share strong sense of national identification based on a common history, dominant religion and language.
The Importance of Religion
Catholic Church power has been reduced…..kind of ..
Patron-Clientelism (Camarillos)
This system of cliques based on personal connections and charismatic leadership has served as glue that has held agrarian Mexico together through practicing “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”.
Elite Spanish model of governing
Erodes sense of responsibility to people and country
Breeds corruption
Democratization and industrialization have put pressure on this system.
Economic Dependency
Always been in someone’s shadow…Spain then U.S.

15. Political & Economic Change
The 20th Century after Revolution ( )
The Influence of this Era
Patron-Client System (caudillos) From revolution
Constitution of 1917
Conflict with Catholic Church (losing power)
Establishment of PRI
ALL ABOUT THE ELITE, NOT THE PEOPLE—IT’S AN ELITE POWER SHARING PLAN
PLAN: All Caudillos under one party
Agreement to “pass around” power
Sexenio of President
All other leaders would have major gov’t positions.
“Instutionalize” the revolution by stabilizing conflict between leaders

16. Political & Economic Change
The 20th Century after Revolution ( )
The Emergence of Technicos and the Pendulum Theory
Pendulum Theory
Neoliberalism
Mexican Miracle

17. Political Parties in Mexico left to right
PRD PRI PAN

18. Political Parties: PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
Established with the goal of reducing political conflict
Cardenas transformed the party into a mass-based political party that could be used to build popular support for government policies and mobilize participation in elections
Cardenas merged local, state and national organizations of peasants and urban workers that had been created during his presidency
Party became appendage to the government itself
Party enjoyed unlimited access to government funds to finance its campaigns.
President enjoyed a slush fund “authorized” by congress
Many of the advantages were challenged when the Salinas administration introduced electoral reforms, and the PRI had to adjust form being an official party to being a party out of power

19. Political Parties: PAN
National Action Party
Party that represents the views on the right of the ideological spectrum.
Established in reaction to the leftward drift of public policy under Cardenas, especially his policies to support socialist public education
Founders included Catholic intellectuals and urban middle class
It also attracts votes from socially conservative peasants and the urban working class

20. Political Parties: PRD
Party of the Democratic Revolution
Represents the left of the ideological spectrum
Members believe in moderate socialist political ideas
Some who lean toward a communist ideology

21. The Shifting of Mexico’s Parties
After 2006 election, social basis of support for parties shifted dramatically
PRI’s base was once rural, but in 2006 it was the PRD who took the rural and poor vote
PAN retained its support with urban voters and young voters
Region played the biggest role in determining the outcome of the vote
PRD is weak in northern and central states, but strong in Mexico City
The North-South split proved to be biggest cleavage in Mexican politics

22. 2000 Election Vicente Fox Wins! – Partido Accion National (PAN)
This changed caused political scientists to be optimistic about democratic rule in Mexico
Mexico has been able to take control of its economic system in a way that most developing countries have not.
It has raised the standard of living of most of it’s citizens

23. 2006 Election PAN won. PRD second. PRI last.
Felipe Calderon (PAN) won.
Andres Lopez Obrador (PRD) lost, but challenged the results
PRD, the leftist party in Mexican politics challenged the election
Obrador vowed to protest and vowed to set up a parallel government in which his supporters would answer to him.
Obrador’s supporters and others declared that the election was not free and fair, calling into question Calderon’s ability to hold power legitimately
Judicial branch validated election…AND it was followed!
Liberal democracy in Mexico?

24. Calderon Wins the Presidency in the closest Race in Mexican history
Obrador lost some in part due to:
- he did not show up for 1st debate
- negative ads turned middle class against him
Results:
Calderon %
Obrador %
Madrazo %

26. Vicente Fox (PAN)
Felipe Calderón (PAN)
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (PRD)

27. Mexican Governance Mexico is a federal republic
Under the PRI, the executive branch concentrated almost all power, and the legislative and judiciary were rubber stamps.
Currently, it has multiparty competitive elections, and power is less concentrated in the executive and national government.
Constitution of 1917
Three branches of gov’t with a system of checks and balances
Congress is composed of:
Senate with 128 members. Three are chosen from each of Mexico’s 31 states (two are determined by majority vote, and the third is determined by whichever party receives the second highest number of votes), three from the federal district (Mexico City), and 32 are elected nationally by proportional representation.
Chamber of Deputies with 500 members. 300 are chosen by majority vote and 200 are chosen by proportional representation.

28. The president, governors, and senators are elected for six years, while the deputies and municipal officials are elected for three years.
The Congress has become more active as a decision-making arena and as a check on presidential power in the last few years. Why?
The Executive
The Mexican presidency is the central institution of governance and policy-making.
Until the 1990’s the incumbent PRI president always selected who would run as the party’s next presidential candidate, appointed officials to all positions of power in the government and the PRI, and often named the candidates, who almost always won elections as governors, senators, deputies, and local officials.

29. Executive & Bureaucracy
Mexican Presidents have many formal powers:
Initiate legislation, lead in foreign policy, create government agencies, make policy by decree, or through administrative regulations, and appoint a wide range of public officials
Informal powers include:
Managing a giant patronage machine
Under the PRI, presidents were almost always members of the outgoing president’s cabinet
Since the mid 1970’s, candidates have had impressive educational credentials
Appoints cabinet
Follows traditions
1.5 million in the federal bureaucracy, most in Mexico City
1 million work in the state-owned industries and semi-autonomous agencies of the government
1.5 million work for state and local governments

30. Elite Recruitment Kinship ties
Revolution caused a hostile attitude toward serving multiple terms, so political leaders are restricted to serving one term
Cabinet filled with tecnicos
People who spend their entire careers in the bureaucracy
Kinship ties
Political inbreeding

31. Interest Articulation & Political Control
Corporatist
A system of interest representation in which Each citizen is expected to relate to the state through a single structure “licensed” by the state to organize and represent themselves (peasants, teachers, etc.)
In sum, a number of PRI-controlled interest groups dominate politics
Result: Patron-client networks in which favors were exchanged between citizens and members of the government.

32. Para-statal sector is very large and powerful
Composed of government agencies, many producing goods and services – Why so many?
PEMEX, NAFIN
Numbers have decreased in recent years, from a high of 1155 to 215 by 1994 – Why?
Military is clearly subordinate to civilian control – Why?
Military has dealt with domestic unrest
Heavily involved in recent years to combat drug trafficking, but still tainted by scandals
Judiciary – Federal and state courts in Mexico
Federal courts are topped by the Supreme Court, whose justices (11) are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate and serve terms of up to 15 years – Judicial review???
Judiciary traditionally supported the President, and even though that is changing, it remains the weakest branch

33. The policy-making process
Good legislation is not always translated into practice… What does this mean?
Role of Congress in policy making
Legislation
Committees
Political Parties
PRI
PAN
PRD

34. Government Performance
Promoting economic Growth &Reducing Poverty
Mexico has experienced impressive economic gains, some credit should be given to government policies
Foreign investment and the privatization of national industry led to massive public investments in infrastructure
This has led to a stimulation of the economy, economic growth, and low inflation

35. Government Performance
Promoting economic Growth &Reducing Poverty
Neoliberal economic development
Describes the idea of allowing free markets and foreign investment
Standard of living of middle class Mexicans has improved
Dark side of economy
The poor remain desperately poor
Much lower living standard than the poor in industrialized countries
Income gap between urban and rural lifestyles remains great
Suffered through periods of very high inflation

36. Rule of Law and Mexico’s Future
Lacks rule of law that one finds in many industrialized nations
Crime is rampant
Justice is infrequently served
Police are corrupt (in part because of low pay)
Prospect of Democracy in Mexico
Elections have become as free and fair as industrialized nations
Economic performance has been mixed
Rule of law is lacking
Jury still out on whether or not Mexico will successfully transition to democracy

37. Current Policy Challenges
Playing catch up!: with international trading partners
To modernize: it must modernize its agricultural sector to allow it to survive competition from countries that have subsidies to make their goods cheaper.
Maintain job growth
Renovate energy sector
Accommodate aging population
Politically: Maintain fair and transparent election process