1. Mexico: Sovereignty, Authority, Power
AP comparative Government

2. Intro Mexico was once considered to be a model for LDC’s
The “Mexican Miracle” was characterized by an increasing GNP and a good transition from authoritarian rule to democratic rule
In the 1980’s and 1990’s the Mexican economy took a major hit and their political system feel into corruption and disarray
This was largely due to an overdependence on oil revenue, coupled with a dropping cost of oil
In the 2000’s, free and fair elections were held again and Mexico seemed on its way back to recovery.
Unfortunately for Mexico, election results were challenged and the global recession of 2008 took place. Both had a major impact on economic success.

3. Legitimacy
The power structure of Mexico has gone through constant change since the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century
In general, Mexican citizens see today’s government as legitimate
An important source of government legitimacy stems from the Revolution of
Revolutions are accepted as an acceptable path to change in Mexico and the charisma of a leader is as highly valued as their leadership ability
The success of the Revolution of was further legitimized by the formation of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 1929
After the revolution, a constitution was written that created a three-branch democracy.
The PRI stabilized political power in the hands of its leaders
The PRI controlled the power of the government until it was successfully challenged in the late 20th century
There was no major competition for control of power in the Mexican government, however that has rapidly changed over the last few decades

4. Historical Traditions
Authoritarianism:
Mexico has a history of strong central leadership.
This stems from Spanish rule and later military rulers who ruled the region.
Mexican’s are used to rulers using strong-armed tactics to accomplish their goals
Populism:
Revolutions in 1810 and 1910 were peasant movements led by charismatic figures that fought for increased rights

5. Historical Traditions
Power plays/divisions within the elite:
There is a history of political elites competing with each other for great power. These competitions include the:
The leaders of the Revolutions of 1810 and 1910
The warlords/caudillos of the 20th century
The politicos vs. tecnicos in the late 20th century
Most recently there was great controversy over the results of the 2006 election
Challenging election results can be a destabilizing force in a country, as political power is greatly challenged and the legitimacy of the government is put under great strain
Instability and Legitimacy issues:
Mexico’s political history is full of chaos, conflict, bloodshed, and violent revolution
Even with most Mexicans believing the government has legitimacy, there is still wide ranging government instability.
This instability centers on drug cartels holding great power throughout the society.

6. Political Culture The importance of religion: Patron-clientelism
Until the 1920’s, the Catholic Church actively participated in politics, and priests were often leaders of populist movements
During the revolutionary period of Mexican history, the government developed an anti-church position
This has greatly reduced the Church’s direct involvement in Mexican government
Despite the Church’s lack of direct involvement, the majority of Mexicans are devout Catholics, and their beliefs influence political values and actions
Patron-clientelism
Patron-clientelism describes the Mexican system of cliques that are based on personal connections and charismatic leadership.
There is a widely practiced “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” attitude throughout Mexican businesses and throughout the government
The network of patron client networks are known as camarillas.
These networks extend from political elites to vote-mobilizing organizations throughout the country
The wide spread use of the patron-client system has led to a great degree corruption
It is believed that since PRI has faced great political challenges in recent years, the camarilla system may be in decline
Even with this decline corporatism is still a major part of Mexican policymaking

7. Political Cultures Economic dependency:
Mexico has almost always been in the shadow of a more powerful country and has leaned on that country for aid
This was apparent when Mexico was a colony of Spain
This is still true and can be seen through Mexico’s relationship with the United States

8. Geographic Influence Mountain and Deserts: Natural Resources
Mexico has large deserts and Mountain ranges that can make communication and transportation difficult
There is very little land available for productive agriculture
Due to these dividing geographic features, regionalism is a large part of Mexican culture
Natural Resources
Mexico has an abundance of oil, silver and other natural resources
Due to government mismanagement, these resources have not brought widespread prosperity to the people
A long border with the United States
The long border has brought about conflict and dependency issues
The conflict between the U.S. and Mexico generally stems around immigration policy and drug enforcement
Mexico has also become largely dependent on the U.S. for economic aid

9. Geographic Influences
114 million people
Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world
They are also among the most ten populace countries in the world
Population growth has slowed significantly and Mexican population is currently expanding at only 1.1% annually
Urban population
Mexico rapidly urbanized in the 20th century
¾ of the Mexican population now lives in cities
This shift in population has disrupted many Mexican traditions including the patron-client system