1. Making of the Modern Mexican State
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Section 1

2. The Stats Officially called los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Capital City: la Cuidad de Mexico
Population: million
Major religion: Roman Catholic (83%)
Ethnic Groups
Mestizo – 62%
Predominantly Amerindian – 21%
Amerindian – 7%
Other (mostly European) – 10%
Language: Spanish, indigenous languages
Currency: peso
Flag adopted on November 2, 1821; design taken from French tricolor flag; colors of the national liberation army of Mexico; coat of arms in center is the badge of Mexico City
Mestizo: a person of mixed white, indigenous, and sometimes African descent
Indigenous groups of Mayans in the South and Nahua in central regions
Issues of race and class divide society
Largely urban city
Lots of migration into the borders, specifically maquiladoras – factories that produce goods for export, normally along the border

3. The Elephant in the Room…
Current Mexico and U.S. relations since beginning of presidential election in 2016
“Bringing crime and drugs” so “we’re going to build a wall.” Also, renegotiate and change trade agreements.
President Enrique Pena Nieto – invited Trump to visit
This went about as well as you could expect.
Trump wins presidency – peso drops dramatically
Pena Nieto brought back Videgray to be foreign secretary.
Pena Nieto canceled Washington trip when told wall would be paid for by Mexico.
Difficult for Mexican presidents to take a nationalist standpoint, particularly after 1994 with NAFTA; cannot be as confrontational as they would probably like
Pena Nieto was given a negative reaction from the Mexican population – would have been unheard of prior to his election due to single party system
Multi-party system
Free press
Engagement of citizenry

4. Political Organization Breakdown
Political System
Federal Republic
Regime History
Democratic since 1946; periods of military authoritarianism ( )
Constitution
1917
Administrative
Federal state wit 31 states and a capital
Executive
President
Legislative
Bicameral Congress – Senate and Chamber of Deputies
Judiciary
Supreme Court with independent federal and state court system
Party system
Multiparty system (beginning in 2000)

5. Geographic Setting Includes Roughly 3x the size of Texas
Costal plains
High plateaus
Fertile valleys
Rain forests
Deserts
Roughly 3x the size of Texas
Mountain ranges on both sides
Communication and transportation are difficult.
Infrastructure is EXPENSIVE.
Agricultural fields in the north; small farms in the south
Rich in oil, silver, and natural resources

6. Independence, Instability, and Dictatorship (1810-1910)
Spanish rule from 1521 to 1810
Miguel Hidalgo – began series of wars for independence
Mexican independence gained in 1821 – struggle for a decent government
33 DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS
Caudillos were doing most of the work.
: 33 different governments!!! – liberals, conservatives, monarchists, republicans, federalists, centralists, you name it – everyone was trying to shape future Mexico
Caudillos: charismatic populist leaders; usually have a military background; use patronage and draw upon personal loyalties to dominate a region or nation
DURING THIS 20 YEARS…

7. Independence, Instability, and Dictatorship (1810-1910)
Mexico lost half its territory.
Constitution of 1857; European occupation
Porfirio Diaz and the Porfiriato
DURING THIS 20 YEARS…
Central America rejected rule from Mexico City in 1823
Texas won independence in 1836 and became a U.S. state in 1845
Border dispute caused U.S. to declare war on Mexico in 1846 – 1848 treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo recognized loss of Texas and gave the U.S. the title to New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, and part of Colorado for $18 million
1854 – Gadsden Purchase, $10 million for silver of land that becomes part of Arizona and New Mexico
Constitution of 1857 – goals of liberals like somewhat democratic government, bill of rights, limitations on Catholic rule
1861 – Spain, Great Britain, and France occupied Veracruz due to debts still owed.
French put European Prince on the throne – Emperor Maximillian from
Benito Juarez returns to presidency in 1867 in an overthrow and hailed as an early proponent of a more democratic government
Porfirio Diaz: cam to power in 1876; a retired general; established a dictatorship known as the porfiriato; brought sustained stability for 34 years and was welcomed by the people; imposed an authoritarian rule to create political order and economic progress; with the cientificos, wanted to adopt modern European tech and modernize, encourage foreign investment and country developed rapidly; social tensions increased with people being pushed off land and middle/upper classes began to resent Diaz’s political power

8. The Mexican Revolution and Sonoran Dynasty (1910-1934)
Revolution of 1910
Ended Porfiriato
First great social revolution
Coup d’etat
Diaz had promised free elections. Francisco Madero stepped up
1913, Madero is assassinated by a coup.
Emiliano Zapata
Agrarian revolt over land claims and legislation
Manifesto Plan de Ayala added to future constitution

9. The Mexican Revolution and Sonoran Dynasty (1910-1934)
1916
Venustiano Carranza places himself as head of to government.
Francisco (Pancho) Villa – military maneuvers and increased hostility to U.S.
Constitution of 1917
Formal set of political institutions and progressive and economic rights
Agrarian reform, set work-day, public education, universal male suffrage, restrictions on owning land, limited power of the Catholic Church.
Sonoran Dynasty
Committed to capitalist model of economic development.
Plutarco Elias Calles – jefe maximo
Jefe maximo – supreme leader  held control from 1929 to 1934; contenders for power would accommodate each other’s interests in expectation that without political violence, the country would be able to prosper  idea to the Institutional Revolutionary Party

10. Lazaro Cardenas, Agrarian Reform, and the Workers (1934-1940)
Hand-picked successor to Calles
Mobilized peasants and workers
Distributed 49 million acres of land
Most became ejidos.
Encouraged unions, higher wages, and better working conditions
1938: took petroleum industry from foreign investors and placed under government control
Incorporated bulk of Mexican population into the political system.
Increased role of the state in industrialization, credit to agriculture, and creation of infrastructure.
Ejidos: land granted by Mexican government to an organized group of peasants; collective land grant

11. The Politics of Rapid Development (1940-1982)
Clientelism: extensive chain of relationships based on exchange of favors
Solidified the PRI and political system
Encouraged industrialization and wealth
Protests of authoritarian tendencies
Oil discovered in Gulf of Mexico in 1970s – fueled (lol) the economy until fall of prices in 1980
Default on national debt

12. 1993 – President Carlos Salinas signed NAFTA
Crisis and Reform ( )
New policies to limit government roles in economy and reduce trade barriers
1993 – President Carlos Salinas signed NAFTA
Closely tied economic development to international conditions
PRI still holding power despite guerrilla movements and assassination of candidates. In 1997, loses its majority in the lower house of congress.
2000 – first non-PRI President, Vicente Fox

13. President Fox and a Multiparty Democracy
Lacked government experience, a compliant congressional majority, and a close relationship with his party, National Action Party (PAN)
Possible relationship with the United States
Events of 9/11 shifted U.S. attention
2006 presidential candidate – Felipe Calderon
Merida Initiative
2012 – return to the PRI with President Enrique Pena Nieto
“Pact for Mexico”  with major party leaders for needed reforms
Had a divided legislature and a questioning citizenry
Widespread protests, allegations of corruption, relationship with border countries
Merida Inititative: with U.S support, helping fight transnational criminal organizations – specifically drug traffickers