Mexico Government Politics KEY CONCEPTS OF MEXICO Mexican

Mexico: Government & Politics

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)

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

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

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?

• 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 enough • In the last two decades, reformers wanted Mexico to have a market-oriented economic system to replace the state-dominated one, but…

• 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?

Mexican Geography

• ~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

• 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.

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 People = huge influence on Urban Population = great impact on political support

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 1934 -1940 – Land reform – Established the tradition of the sexenio Pancho Villa (right) and Emiliano Zapata meet in Mexico City to discuss the revolution.

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 (1982 -1988) and Carlos Salinas (19881994) 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.

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.

• POLITICAL & CHANGE The ECONOMIC 20 Century after Revolution (1910 -2010) th – 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

POLITICAL & CHANGE • The. ECONOMIC 20 Century after Revolution (1910 th 2010) – The Emergence of Technicos and the Pendulum Theory • Neoliberalism • Mexican Miracle

Political Parties in Mexico left to right PRD----- PRI--------PAN

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

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

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

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

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

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?

Calderon Wins the Presidency in the closest Race in Mexican history Obrador lost some in part due to: - he did not show up for 1 st debate - negative ads turned middle class against him Results: • Calderon 35. 9 % • Obrador 35. 3 % • Madrazo 22. 2 %

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

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.

– 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.

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

ELITE RECRUITMENT • 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

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.

• 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

• 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

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

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

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

• • • 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