1. MEXICO
Part 2 1

2. “The Porfiriato” ( )
Military coup staged by Porfirio Diaz in 1876
promised to serve a single term, instead ruled for 34 years
installed the cientificos
influences:
stability
authoritarianism
foreign investment and economic growth
growing gap between rich and poor
competition among elites ended Diaz’s regime with a coup from within  Revolution of 1910 2

3. the chaotic early 20th century
Revolution of 1911 set off a period of warlordism and popular uprisings that lasted until 1934
influences:
patron-clientelism
Constitution of 1917
conflict with the Catholic Church – the Cristero Rebellion
establishment of PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) : stabilized conflict 3

4. The Cardenas Upheaval 1934-1940
Lazaro Cardenas: ‘the Roosevelt of Mexico’
stabliized and radicalized Mexican politics
many changes:
redistribution of land - ejidos
nationalization of industry
investments in public works
encouragement of peasant and union organizations
concentration of power in the presidency
import substitution industrialization
state corporatism 4

5. The emergence of the technicos and the pendulum theory
President Miguel Aleman rejected many of Cardenas’ socialist reforms
promoted economic liberalization
next president shifted emphasis back
1970s: pendulum stopped, technicos took control of the government and PRI : moderate, free-market approach
1980s: neoliberalism: free markets, balanced budgets, privatization, free trade, limited government intervention in the economy
the ‘Mexican miracle’: huge GNP growth based on oil, followed by oil bust
conflict between politicos and tecnicos 5

6. citizens, society, and the state
camarillas (patron-client networks) are interwoven into the fabric of Mexican politics
Clientelism gives the government the upper hand
role of the citizen is changing as political parties become more competitive
cleavages:
social class
urban vs. rural
mestizo vs. Amerindian
north vs. south
often cross-cutting, but recently have coincided: urban, middle-class, northern mestizos vs. rural, poor, southern Amerindians

7. political participation
until recently, citizens lived under authoritarian rule by political elite
participation characterized by revolution and protest
now, increasing participation through legitimate, regular elections
patron-clientelism remains an important factor in political participation, but modernization tends to break this up
‘networks’ get blurred in large population centers
more formal forms of participation are instituted

8. co-optation: government responds to citizen demands by
protests
co-optation: government responds to citizen demands by
accomodating their demands and
including protesters in the political process
major protests:
Zapatista uprising
Oaxaca pprotest

9. voting
before 1990, PRI controlled elections on local, state and national levels
high voting rates required by patron-client system
rampant corruption, challengers easily defeated
as competing parties began to pull support from PRI, influences on voting patterns can be seen:
region
education
income

10. civil society
long-standing, lively civil society, acceptance of public protest
PRI practiced state corporatism divided interest groups into 3 sectors:
labor, peasants, middle class
each dominated by PRI-controlled groups
civil society led to the downfall of PRI and formation of PAN in 1939
disaffection of businessmen not incorporated into the government system
led to 2000 election of Vincente Fox
PRI’s state corporatism broken up

11. Political institutions
regime type: traditionally, state corporatist
central, authoritarian rule that allows input from interest groups outside of government
transitioning toward economic and political liberalization
in the middle ‘development’ stage

12. political parties
for most of 20th century, Mexico was virtually a one-party state
today, 3 parties, and competitive elections are a reality
(1) PRI: continuous power
coalition of elites
corporatist structure
patron-client system
lost presidency in 2000 but gained majority in lower legislative house in 2009

13. political parties, cont.
(2) PAN: founded as an opposition party in 1939
created to represent business not included in PRI
opposed centralization and anti-clericism
strongest support in North
regional autonomy
less government intervention in economy
fair elections
rapport with Catholic Church
support for private and religious education

14. political parties, cont. (3) PRD ; PRI’s opposition on the left
won 139:500 seats in lower house in 1988, followed by gains in 2006 and losses in 2009
struggled to define a left-of-center alternative to PRI’s market-oriented policies
poorly organized
current leader: Obrrador, Mayor of Mexico City