Citizens/Society State By: Matt Ball, Prayag Pershad, Chandler Brown, & Mackenzie Skipper

Mexico is in stage 3 in the Demographic Transition Model (moderate growth) Medical practices that were introduced in stage 2 are now beginning to affect the population More people are more likely to live urban areas rather than on farms due to industrial jobs Population Pyramid

Crude Birth Rate is beginning to drop due to more women in the work force, medical advancements and decline in the Infant Mortality Rate Crude Death Rate begins to drop due to medical advancements introduced in stage 2 Number of elders increasing (a refelction of transition from stage 2 to stage 3) Dependency Ratio (ages 0-14 and 75+) is increasing which means the people in-between have the burden of supporting those people Sex ratio is even

Freedom House Information (definition) Freedom House: an organization that studies democracy around the world, ranks countries on a 1 to 7 freedom scale, with 1 being the most free and 7 the least. Mexico is rated a 3. PRI has monopolized the government and politics, it has also left little to criticize the government or influence public opinion. The government started to reward media companies that supported the PRI.

Freedom House Information Mexico is becoming more democratic since the PRI has lost some power in the 1980's. Citizens now have access to a broader range of political opinions and freedom of expression. Some other info Freedom House provided: 116 million people live in mexico, 9420 USD GNI and PPP

CLEAVAGES

Cleavages Cross-cutting (conflictual): divide society into many potential groups that conflict on one issue and cooperate on another Coinciding (reinforcing): every dispute aligns the same groups against each other Current trend: cross-cutting becoming coinciding

Coinciding Cleavages Urban, middle class mestizos (European and Amerindian blend) from north VS. Rural, poor Amerindians (indigenous Mexicans) from south

Mestizo v. Amerindian Blend of European and Amerindian Wealthier Urban residents Indigenous people Poorer Live in rural areas 30% of population

Urban v. Rural 75% urban Less-inclined to support PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party Receptive to political and economic reform PRI controls peasants Camarillas (patron- client system): Political support in exchange for small favors from politicos Politicos: traditional chiefs of camarillas

Social Class Middle Class-Rich Top 10% earn 35.6% of Mexican income Growing middle class More likely to support PAN (National Action Party) More likely to vote Poor Bottom 10% earn 1.6% High infant mortality rates Low levels of education Shorter life expectancy Gini coefficient: indicates economic inequality. Mexico’s is.48 (high disparity).

North v. South Dry and mountainous Prosperous from U.S. trade Mostly Mestizo Higher incomes High education levels –8.1 years avg. Supportive of free market Subtropical More rural influence More Amerindians Lower avg. incomes Low education levels –6 years avg. Source of Zapatista Movement –Rights for natives

Changes If poor continue to increase incomes faster than average, they may join the middle class. Spreading job opportunities to new regions may reduce regional/ethnic cleavages.

Political Participation Revolutions and protests characterize much political participation Mexicans used to be ruled by elites in an authoritarian system Now, there are regular elections that are becoming more and more legitimate.

Political Participation Patron-client system/patron-clientelism –People received political support in exchange for favors –Stems from caudillos from the early 19 th century and warlordism Caudillos – leaders had supporters who he granted favors to –The groups made camarillas, which were hierarchical networks where the exchange of offices and other benefits occurred –Patron-clientelism is still important –Many citizens do not trust government officials

Political Participation Protests –The government usually responds to protests by giving in to demands and by including citizens in the political process through co- optation –After government soldiers killed over 200 student protesters in Tlatelolco Plaza in 1968, the next president recruited many student activists and increased the government’s spending on social services.

Political Participation Protests (continued) –Zapatista Movement was a protest that represented the Amerindians Voting –Before the 1990s, elections were controlled by the PRI –Patron-clientelism caused high voting rates

Political Participation Voting –Influenced by 3 main factors: region, education, and income Region –North – 47% for Felipe Calderón (PAN), 27% for Roberto Madrazo (PRI), & 24% for Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (PRD) –South – 29% for Calderón, 27% for Madrazo, & 40% for Obrador Education –Higher educated citizens were more likely to vote for Calderón – 42% of those with a college education voted for him –38% of college grads voted for Obrador and only 14% voted for Madrazo

Political Participation Voting –Influenced by 3 main factors: region, education, and income Income –Upper income – 50% for Calderón, 30% for Obrador, and 14% for Madrazo * Percentages based on 2006 election CalderónObrador Madrazo

Civil Society Many groups refuse to cooperate with the PRI which create an atmosphere where public protests are acceptable The PRI practiced state corporatism to ensure that no one group challenged the government The PRI separated the interest groups into three sectors: labor, peasants and the middle class (“popular”) The Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (a labor group) was an autonomous group that vocally and publicly criticized the government

Civil Society Cont. A group of business men who were not incorporated into the government’s system started the downfall of the PRI’s civil society The group formed PAN, a political party, in 1939 even though the party did not successfully challenge the PRI until 2000 presidential election with candidate Vicente Fox In 2006 the PAN victory improved business interests and broke up the PRI’s old state corporatism

Women Number in both houses of legislature has risen –113/500 House of Deputies –22/128 Senate 1996 election law: –political parties must sponsor women candidates –30% of party list in proportional and SMD must be women

Women in Society Rise in working force Dominantly in domestic workforce Mostly seen as home caretakers Mostly teachers or nuns

That’s All!