STUDENT NOTES - 1 CH. 5 – The United Mexican States.

STUDENT NOTES - 1

CH. 5 – The United Mexican States

• Independence Movement• Purity of the Catholic Faith• Blood of National Heroes• Aztec symbolism in the

center – legend tells that an eagle devouring a serpent on a cactus was to be the location of the capitol city

CURRENT POLICY CHALLENGES Economy produces few jobs Educational system needs

modernization Impoverished population Unequal distribution of income Environmental problems Barely functioning criminal justice

system Catch up to trade

partners/competitors Modernize agricultural sector Renovate energy sector Expand tax base Change election rules

Why Study Mexico?• Constitution of 1917 was model for other

progressive movements in Latin America• Longest single-party government

in the modern world (1929-2000)• Political system was very stable during

20th century• Political economy is a classic example of

the challenges and prospects of the transition from state-led development to neoliberal economic policy

• NAFTA – relationship with United States

OVERVIEW• System of Government: Presidential…just like

America• Distribution of Power: Federal System…just like

America• Electoral System: Mixed System: SMDP and PR• Constitution: Constitution of 1917• Legislature: Bicameral - Chamber of Deputies &

Senate…just like America• Current Head of State: Enrique Peña Nieto• Head of Government: Enrique Peña Nieto• Current Ruling Party: PRI• Major Political Parties: PRI, PAN, PRD

THE MEXICAN STATE• Constitutional republic

– Currently: DEMOCRATIC REGIME – Formal separation of powers

• Federal Presidential– Political centralism – concentration of decision making

power in pres.

– 31 states and Federal District (like US have 50 states plus DC)• Each divided into municipios headed by

mayor and council (kinda like US into counties/cities)

– Each layer of government successively weaker• Subunits VERY dependent on national gov (funding)

– State governors retain control over resources

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• All this feeds into regionalism in the political culture– Mountains and Deserts = communication/transportation difficult– Varied Climates = size creates different experiences– Natural Resources = create disproportional wealth– A long border with the United States

II. SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, POWER:EVOLUTION OF MEXICAN STATE

– Originally occupied by the Mayan civilization about 1,000 years ago; civilization then gave way to the Aztecs.

– SPANISH COLONIALISM:• Spanish incorporated native population into an

elaborate hierarchy. – Criollos, mestizos, indigenous– Spanish haciendas formed on huge estates

• Catholic Church owned 1/3 of the country and forced Catholicism

• Spanish were not effective colonial leaders and were never able to secure rule throughout the country


• REVOLUTION OF 1810– Miguel Hidalgo led rebellion from 1810-1821• Parish Priest issued a call for the end of Spanish misrule in

1810• Began a series of wars of independence that lasted for the

next 11 years.• Between 1833 and 1855 there were 36 presidential administrations• Porfirio Diaz

• A military coup 1876: ruled for 34 years• Dictatorship (authoritarian), stable, industrialization

– So made some economic progression, but many did not benefit– Foreign influence HIGH (backlash – think about the Shah)


• Countryside - loosely coordinated bands of peasants took up arms

• Labor - organized series of strikes in mines and mills

• Cities – liberals rallied behind “revolutionary” Francisco Madero–Won presidential nomination in 1910 under Anti-

Reelectionist Party however, Diaz “won” election

– CIVIL WAR - Madero gathered supporters, started war against Diaz, who agreed to abdicate.

II. SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, :POWEREVOLUTION OF MEXICAN STATE

• Francisco Madero elected President and was soon assassinated – political order in Mexico collapsed

• Peasant Revolts– Emiliano Zapata– Francisco (Pancho) Villa– Venustiano Carranza– Demanded agrarian reform– All formed armies of landless peasants and poor industrial

workers– 1916, Carranza occupied Mexico City, led to elections and

new constitutional assembly


• 1917 Constitution– Current source of regime and legitimacy– Democratic government, checks and

balances, “competitive” elections– Power of church limited, foreigners no longer

allowed to own Mexican land or mineral resources

• 1928 President Plutarco Elias Calles– Could not run for reelection under constitution

SO to provide continuity from one presidency to another CREATE A POLITICAL PARTY to control nomination and election

– CALLES LEGACY: regulated how succession would occur and instituted one party rule

–Mexico still sucked, just wasn’t as violent


• Creation of Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (1929)

• Stabilized conflict among leaders by “institutionalizing” one party

• 70 year reign: the “perfect dictatorship”• State and party merged into one• Single-party controls access to political offices (ALL)

• Partido Revolucionario Institucional (CORPORATISM)– Pendulum Theory – back and forth policies brought

on by changing PRI leaders– Maintain power/limit revolution by encouraging

loyalty– ***Created stable government, BUT cost social

reforms– ***Established firm patron-client relationship

Notice how closely this resembles the flag


• When you don’t feel like fixing an election…• Patron-client relationships (camarillas) aka

corporatism– Corporatism contrasts pluralism– People are members of groups that make up

society• MX: military, peasants, workers, middle class

– Leaders of camarillas can be co-opted by material reward (jobs); creates loyalty (votes)

• Heavy repression/reforms in times of criticism

STUDENT NOTES - 1 CH. 5 – The United Mexican States.

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