1. Institutions of Mexican Government
Similar but different
Institutions of Mexican Government

2. Linkage Institutions
Mexico’s political parties, interest groups, and media all work to link Mexican citizens to their government
During the PRI era all of this took place under the authority of the PRI party so a true civil society did not exist
As democratization began and civil society began to develop, these structures were already in place, so activating democracy was easier than it would have been otherwise

3. Political Parties Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI)
National Action Party (PAN)
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)

4. PRI
In power from
Founded by coalition of elites led by President Calles
Originally elites agreed to trade favors and pass around power from one cacique to another (Sexenio)
Corporatist structure – interest groups woven into the structure of the party. Party has ultimate authority, but other voices heard by bringing interest groups under the umbrella of the party. Structure is not democratic, but allows for more input into government than other types of authoritarianism. Particularly since Cardenas peasant and labor organizations have been represented in the party and hold positions of responsibility
Patron-client system – party traditionally gets its support from rural areas where patron-client system is still in control. Patron-client system allowed the PRI to remain in control of Mexicans as long as majority of population was rural-based, this began to change in the late 1980s
Supporters are more rural, less educated and older

5. PAN (Right of Center) Founded in 1939
Represents business interests opposed to centralization and anti-clericalism
PAN support strongest in the north
PAN generally considered PRI’s opposition to the Right
PAN candidate Vicente Fox won 2000 presidential election, Felipe Calderon won 2006 election
Platform
Regional autonomy
Less government intervention in the economy
Clean & fair elections
Good rapport with Catholic Church
Support for private and religious education
Supporters are urban, middle class, wealthy

6. PRD (Left of Center) PRD considered PRI’s opposition to the Left
Presidential candidate in 1988 & 1994 was Cuahtemoc Cardenas (son of Lazaro Cardenas)
He was ejected from the PRI for demanding reform that emphasized social justice and populism
In 1988 Cardenas won 31.1% of the official vote, and PRD captured 139 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (500 total)
Many believe had it been an honest election Cardenas would have won
PRD has been plagued by poor organization, lack of charismatic leadership, and most importantly the lack of an economic alternative to the market-oriented policies of the PRI & PAN (a more socialist party)
Andres Lopez Obrador, former mayor of Mexico City, was the PRD candidate for president in the 2006 election. He lost by a slim margin to Calderon (PAN)
Supporters are working class, younger, better educated, active

7. Election of 2006
Andrés Manuel López Obrador was the presidential candidate
After the general election of July 2 , and after a recount of only 9.09% of all the ballot tally sheets, the Federal Electoral Institute recorded the vote results in favor of Felipe Calderón (PAN party) by a margin of 0.58 percent (Bush/Gore was .0092%)
PRD claims that there was election fraud which were rejected by the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) and certified Calderón as the winner
The PRD called for demonstrations and set up camps in the capital's main square blocking one of its main avenues (Paseo de la Reforma) to ask for a recount of all votes.
The camps were later dismantled and Obrador was declared "Legitimate President" by his followers; he does not recognize the legitimacy of Calderón.

8. Elections
Citizens in Mexico directly elect the president, Chamber of Deputy Representatives, and Senators as well as most local & state officials
Elections are generally competitive, specifically in urban areas
Members of congress elected through dual system of “first-past-the-post” and proportional representation
Proportional representation was increased in a major reform law in 1986, a change that gave power to political parties that challenged PRI control
Each of Mexico’s 31 states elects three senators, 2 are determined by majority vote, the other is determined by whichever party receives the second highest number of votes
32 senate seats are determined nationally through a system of proportional representation that divides the seats according to the number of votes cast for each party (128 Senate seats in total)
In the Chamber of Deputies, 300 seats are determined by plurality within single-member districts, and 200 are chosen by proportional representation

9. Voter Profiles PRI – small town or rural, less educated, older, poorer
PAN – from the north, middle-class professional or business, urban, better educated (at least high school, some college) religious (or those less strict regarding separation of church & state)
PRD – younger, politically active, from the central states, some education, small town or urban

10. Election of 2000
PAN/PRD candidate Vicente Fox won presidency (43% of the vote compared to 36% garnered for PRI candidate Francisco Labastida)
PAN captured 208 of 500 deputies in lower house
PRI captured 209 deputy seats in the lower house
PAN won 46 senate seats; PRI won 60 senate seats
New, competitive election system has encouraged coalitions to form to the right & left of the PRI
Split in votes has encourage gridlock, phenomenon unknown to Mexico under the old PRI-controlled governments

11. Interest Groups & Popular Movements
Corporatist structure allowed for accommodation of interest group (a system where government is dominated by representative groups within society
Business Interests – networked with political leaders to protect the growth of commerce, finance, industry, and agriculture
Labor – accommodated within system, wage levels for union workers increased from , until economic crisis of lowering oil prices caused wages to drop. Power of union bosses has decreased as unions weaken and members become more independent
Rural/Peasant Organizations – encouraged under PRI through the ejido system that granted land from the government to these organizations. Since 1980s groups have demanded greater independence from the government, and supported movements for better prices for crops, and access to markets and credit. Joined with other groups to promote better education, health services, and environmental practices
Urban/Popular Movements – concerned about social welfare spending, city services, neighborhood improvement, economic development, feminism, and professional identity. As groups become more independent and grow in strength the government and political system must negotiate with them, and in doing so transform the political culture

12. Media
Part of the patron-client system under the PRI, with rewards and favors doled out in return for political support
Have become more independent as PRI-political structure has been reorganized
Many Mexicans have access to international newspapers, magazines, CNN and the BBC
“Toallagate” Scandal – overpriced towels at President Fox’s mansion

13. Government Institutions
Mexico is a federal republic, though state and local governments have little independent power and few resources
Executive branch has held majority of the power historically
Legislative & Judicial branch followed the executive’s lead, rubber-stamping most presidential decisions
Mexico has traditionally been an authoritarian and corporatist regime

14. Executive Branch Center of policy-making
Sexenio: non-renewable six-year term (Under PRI similar to dictator)
Selected successor
Appointed officials to all positions of power in the government
Named PRI candidates for other public offices
A lot of turnover at the in the executive branch
Until mid-1970s Mexican presidents were above criticism and people revered them as symbols of national progress and well-being
Managed huge patronage system-president at top of hierarchy
Control over “rubber-stamp” Congress
President Ernesto Zedillo ( ) –relinquished number of traditional powers of the president, including naming the PRI candidate for the 2000 election
President Fox inherited the presidency in a time of transition
President still viewed as all powerful, but blamed for shortcomings
Harder for Fox to accomplish political goals without strong party support in the post-PRI Congress

15. Executive Branch Powers of President Initiate legislation
In charge of foreign policy
Create government agencies
Issues decrees and regulations with force of law
(Similarities to US) (trends?)

16. Bureaucracy
About 1.5 million people employed by federal government (Most in Mexico City)
High & Middle level officials have a good deal of power
Civil servants work for patrons more than the state-the staff will follow minister when gets a new job
Under PRI corruption and bribes quite common amongst officials in the bureaucracy
Parastatal Sector – semiautonomous government agencies that often produce goods & services
PEMEX (state owned petroleum company)
After 1980’s oil bust reforms cut the number of para-statals, and many are now privately owned
President Fox tried unsuccessfully to privatize PEMEX

17. Legislature Bicameral
Chamber of Deputies (500-member)
300 deputies from single-member districts (plurality)
200 deputies chosen by proportional representation
Senate (128-member)
3 senators from each of the 31 states & the federal district(96)
Remaining 32 selected by proportional representation
All legislators directly elected-members can’t serve consecutive terms
Election held every three years
Until 1980s legislature remained under strict control of the president
PRI’s lost hold on legislature earlier than it did on the presidency
Lost majority in the Chamber of Deputies in 1997
Women in both houses has risen significantly since 1996 election law required parties to sponsor female candidates
Parties must run at least 30% female candidates for proportional representation and single-member district elections
113 of 500 deputies in Chamber are female
20 of 128 Senators are also female

18. Local governments 31 states and federal district
Depend on federal government for funding
Patronage very important
The Breakdown of the PRI has hurt these networks
Attempts to reform the system have been thwarted by government agencies and the governors who retain control of the money when it is given to the states

19. Judiciary
Strong judicial branch necessary for a country to operate on the “Rule of Law”
Mexico does not have an independent judiciary or judicial review system
Most laws are federal, limiting the authority of state courts
Much more dependent on written law than precedence
Supreme Court
On paper has judicial review, but it never overrules important government policy or actions
Historically has been controlled by the executive branch
Judges appointed for life, but in practice resigned at the beginning of each sexenio
President Ernesto Zedillo ( ) attempted to strengthen courts by emphasizing the rule of law, he refused to interfere with court judgments and President Fox continued this policy
Fox tried to work for an independent judiciary but seems to have come up short on this endeavor

20. Military Dominated Mexican political life into the early 20th century
PRI dramatically cutback the political power of generals (even former military generals who became presidents acted to separate the military from politics)
Calles and Cardenas de-politicized the military
Continually moved generals to different regions of the country not allowing them to develop a regional base of power
Presidents traded favors with military officers to allow them economic power, if not political power
Government control of the military one of PRI’s most important accomplishments
Strong ties between military officers and drug barons
Military heavily involved in drug-enforcement
Patron-client system of favors and loyalty has led some military officers to accept money from drug lords in return for allegiance and security
General Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo (Head of anti-drug task force) arrested in 1997 on accusations of protecting a drug lord

21. Policies & Issues Economy “Mexican Miracle” Problems
economy grew more than 6% per year
Industrial production up nearly 9% per year during 1960s
Agricultural share of production down: 25% to 11%
Manufacturing share of production up: 25% to 34%
Problems
Growing gap between rich & poor
Rapid/Unplanned Urbanization

22. Economics II Debt Crisis
Mexican government borrowed heavily in order to industrialize
Most of the economic growth based on oil economy
Oil plummet in 1982, caused Mexican economy to plummet as well
1987, Mexico over $107 billion in debt, debt represented 70% of GNP

23. Economics III
Reform
Begun by President Miguel de la Madrid in 1982, continued by presidents Salinas & Zedillo (the tecnicos)
Sharp cuts in Government Spending – according to agreements with the IMF, World Bank, and the U.S. Mexico greatly reduced government spending by eliminating public enterprises, cutting government subsidies, and cutting hundreds of thousands of public jobs
Debt Reduction – with assistance from U.S. the Mexican government reached agreement to reduce interest rates on loans and allow for more lenient repayment plans. Mexico still pays on average about $10 billion a year on loan interests
Privatization – many government industries were privatized, in 1990 President Salinas returned the banks to the private sector. Special laws like duty-free importing of components and cheap labor led foreign companies to invest in Mexican manufacturing plants
Between 2001 and 2003 Mexico economy suffered from the post-September 11 U.S. recession. In 2004, the economy grew by 4.1% but an estimated 40% of the Mexican population still lived below the poverty line

24. Foreign Policy
GATT/WTO – in 1986 Mexico joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the precursor to the World Trade Organization
NAFTA – economics still dominates even in terms of foreign policy
Has brought more transparency to Mexican politics and economics
Immigration & Drug Trafficking – America still the key focus for Mexican foreign policy
Communication Technology has made Mexico’s problems more global (Zapatista Movement)

25. 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