1. The Mexican State

2. Citizens, Society, and the State
Cleavages:
Urban v. Rural
Social Class: Gini coefficient is high, (.50). Economic inequality is high
Mestizo v. Amerindian
North v. South

3. Political Culture
What is the link between Mexican culture and Mexican political institutions?
Mexican political culture sustained PRI domination-Why?
Mexicans are highly supportive of the political institutions that evolved from the Mexican Revolution, and they endorse the democratic principles embodied in the Constitution of 1917
Historically, Mexicans tolerated corruption in government as a price to be paid in order to extract benefits from the system. Drug related corruption in the 90’s reduced tolerance of corruption in government
Social and Economic changes eroded many core traditional values which helped produce a more democratic Mexico in 2000

4. Political Culture Unifiers: Language Religion History
National Identity
Mass Culture

5. Political Culture Women play minor role in Mexican Politics
Strong values associated with
machismo
Urbanization, more women in the workforce (30%). Will it change the political culture?
Camarillas- Patron-Client Networks which extend from the party elite to vote-mobilizing organizations (PRI losing control as more are educated and urbanization occurs)

6. Political Culture 4 Sub Cultures
Rural Indians who do not speak Spanish (10%) not active in politics
Older, poorly educated, rural, lower class, and female- “Subjects” reasonably aware of what the government is doing. Tolerate the system, assuming they can do little to change it. No political efficacy.
Regime’s supporters- Those who benefit from the system. Few of them.
Anti- PRI- emerging and growing

7. Political Participation
Constitution:
Grants basic freedoms
Universal Suffrage (18)
No interference with religion, travel, private property, schools
Open press, debate
History of Human Rights violations (Strikes, Battle of the Streets) Limits Mexico as a Democracy

8. Protests
When citizen demands have gotten out of hand, the government accommodates their demands and includes them in the political process through co-optation. (the tactic of neutralizing or winning over a minority by assimilating them into the established group or culture)
1968 protests by students in Tlateloco Plaza resulted in the death of 200 students. The next president recruited large numbers of student activists into his administration and increased spending on social services, which provided jobs for many young people.

9. Protests 1994: Zapatista uprising Poor Chiapas region
Disaffected Amerindians
2006: Oaxaca uprising
Teacher strike escalated to include other groups
Went on for months
PRI Governor Ulises Ruiz won through corruption, escalates tensions
Fox sends in troops during last month in office
Ruiz still in office
Ongoing issue

10. Linkage Institutions
Political Parties, the media, and interest groups all worked to link Mexican citizens to their government.
Linkage took place under PRI umbrella
As democratization took place, civil society and linkage institutions also developed
Because the structure of civil society and linkage institutions were in place, activating democracy was easy

11. Political Participation
Comparatively, Mexico is not repressive. PRI used means other than violence to stay in power (voter fraud)
Election Day: Very Festive. Free food if you voted for the PRI
High voter turnout: (Before 1988, PRI inflated turnout numbers, hard to measure) % % %

12. PRI Mexico seen as “semidemocratic”
State Corporatism: state mediated among different groups to ensure no one group successfully challenged the government or party
PRI violated democratic principles to stay in power
Bought votes, stuffed ballot boxes, etc
Controlled the Federal Election Commission- Electoral Alchemy: The way Mexican’s have used fraud to rig elections
An elaborate network of Camarillas: 15 million members
Members drawn to the PRI by their desire for power, not ideology
Reminiscent of the political machines in the US during the late 19th century (Boss Tweed)

13. PRI
Before 2000, PRI never lost a presidential election. Before 1997, never lost control of the Chamber. Controlled 95% of Mexico’s 2000 municipalities.
PRI lost Mexican vote for first time in 71 years
Reasons:
Always had groups who refused to cooperate with PRI
Civil society- Disconnected business men who where not incorporated the government system
Formed PAN
What will be next?
State corporatism? (state controls interests)
Neocorporatism? (where interests, not the government controls)
Pluralism? (Independent interests have input, but don’t control)

14. Elections Today ( )
End of PRI rule change in electoral system reflected honest voting, gave opposition parties more seats = higher voter turnout (publicly funded elections)
Corporatism eroding - describes the way Mexicans are integrated into the political system via patron-client relations
Factors that influenced the 2006 election:
Region- North 47% PAN, 27% PRI, 24% PRD and Mexico city region: 44% PRD
Education: Educated- PAN 42% of college educated and 38% for PRD
Income: Upper Income PAN 50%, 30% PRD

15. Elections Today ( )
Corporatism- developed through trade unions. Until recently, all workers belonged to a trade union or organization. (quasi-official). PRI solidified support in 3 ways:
Provided tangible benefits- land redistribution, healthcare
Tied poor Mexicans who were powerless to the regime- limited protest
Gave the PRI a pool from which to recruit leaders at the grassroots level. Gave hope to many workers.
PRI’s hold diminished as the economy of the 80’s worsened. Well educated did not join PRI.
2000- charged $92 million in illegal campaign practices and laid off 2/3’s of its staff. Lost its base supporters.
2002 political comeback?

16. Elections Similar to Germany
Electoral law combines single-member districts and proportional representation for the Chamber of Deputies. 500 Seats plurality, or single member districts proportional to party representation. (31 states and Mexico City)
The Senate has 128 directly elected members (3 from each of the 31 states and Mexico City)
The President is elected in a first-past-the-post (plurality) system.

17. Political Institutions PAN
National Action Party
Only real opposition party to PRI until late 80’s
Catholic Church and Business Community, Pro business (Reagan supporter)
1983- won governor of Baja California Norte
Charismatic leader- Fox- alliance with the Green’s and left-of-center intellectuals
Philip Calderon, President

18. The PRD
Cautemoc Cardenas- founder of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (1989)
Son of beloved Lazaro Cardenas
Leftist
Ran for President in 1988 and 2000.
Competed with PRI in the 90’s and Fox’s alliance in 2000
Narrowly lost Presidency in 2006
Controls Mexico City

19. Women in Civil Society New Mexican Women’s movement
Includes not only elite wealthy, but rural poor
Local organizations rally around local issues
National issues also include: abortion, unequal pay, violence against women
Movement Growing as middle class enlarges and economic developments further erode traditional social structures

20. The Mexican State
Fox did not change the system (Did not have the votes in Congress)
Similar to US (constitutional theory and political reality are not the same)
Presidential System
Bicameral Legislature (lower house elected from single-member districts of roughly equal size and an upper house giving each state two seats)
Federation
Separation of Power (Check and Balances)
Unlike the US- Semi-authoritarian and highly stable one-party system because of a number of mostly informal and temporary arrangements that became a lasting part of the Mexican landscape. How the PRI institutionalized the revolution.

21. Nonreelection and Presidential Domination
Real power and policy making held in few hands (USSR) PRI hegemony had 2 vital components
Principle of Nonreelection: Inexperienced Congress and State leaders
Power in the hands of the president
President
PRI
Congress
People

22. The Executive
6 year terms- only 1 term- a lot of power in a short amount of time
Initiate legislation- all bills of importance
Issue decrees on a wide variety of subjects (transfer of funds, authorize funds, implement laws)
Informal power- Control began before the election, placed his own team in place. (Chosen from the cabinet)
Selects all bureaucratic positions
Changed in US style campaign
Political life ends when you leave office

23. The Cabinet, Bureaucracy, and the Judiciary
All posts were filled on patron-client relations
Today, the President is chosen from the Gobernacion, (internal security and administration of elections, cabinet post)
Fox broke tradition by appointing those not loyal to PAN to his Cabinet
Government bureaucracy (employs 1 in 5) not based on merit- change posts frequently- high turnover- can’t gain expertise- changing.
Large Para- Statal sector- composed of semiautonomous or autonomous government agencies. (Government owned companies would produce goods and services- PEMEX- Reform pushes for privatization)

24. The Cabinet, Bureaucracy, and the Judiciary
Judiciary- Judicial Review (on paper) never overruled a government action.
Appointed for life but leave after 6 years

25. Congress Chamber of Deputies: 3 year terms
Senate: 6 year terms, ½ elected every 3 years
Rubber stamp: Why?
May only serve one term
No seniority or expertise
Subservient to the President- all about who you know
PRI loyalists who were rewarded for years of work
1997 changed the system- PAN and PRD held the Chamber and blocked PRI legislation for the first time (gridlock)
Still no majority in either house, will take years to develop interparty cooperation

26. The Federal System
31 States plus the Federal District (Mexico City) Each state has a governor and unicameral legislature
States divided into 2,000 municipalities. Each has a mayor and a municipal council
Have little power as the PRI dominates (15% of municipalities and 25% of governorships are controlled by opposition parties)
1997 PRD control in Mexico City
PAN controls the North

27. The Military
PRI has historically curbed the power of the military- Depoliticized
Disciplined force with professional officer corps
Defense and national security
Ties to drug lords?

28. Corporatism and Corruption
Bypassed individualism
Incorporated groups in a version of corporatism
Government created or legitimized organizations similar to interest groups in industrialized democracies but in reality existed to keep the PRI in office
Elaborate spoils system
All systems/institutions/organizations corrupt
Racketeering, kickbacks, and embezzlement routine (PEMEX)
Trend: Crack down on corruption

29. Public Policy Debt and Development:
Pre-90’s- Stable government transitioned peacefully from egalitarianism to state-sponsored industrialization (6.5 growth rate until decline in oil prices of the 1980s)
Adopted structural adjustment policies
Currently, have done little to stop economic decline and widened gap between rich and poor

30. Debt
Early successes:
Import substitution: a country should attempt to substitute products which it imports, mostly finished goods, with locally produced substitutes
Not a socialist policy- only took over industries for economic reasons
Extended infrastructure
Nationalization ends 1982
Low taxes/High Tariffs
Averaged 6% growth from (food, tobacco, textiles, machinery, iron, steel, and chemicals-labor intensive)
Stable Peso 12.5 = $1 low inflation
No socialization programs, high poverty, pollution

31. Debt The Crisis- Began in the 70’s
Unable to begin 2nd stage of industrialization (technology)
Mismanagement of key industries (PEMEX)
Rapid population growth
Huge increase in government spending (Structural Adjustment)
Revenues did not keep up with spending (deficits) which led to a large national debt of $107 billion by (Heavy borrowing)
Debt is 16% of GNP
Could not retain import substitution
Low rate of the peso kept imports out and business abroad more lucrative (capital flight)
Oil prices dropped
By had to nationalize banks, inflation at 100% to 150% by 1987
Earthquake in 1985 followed another drop in oil prices

32. Debt 4 policies to reduce the debt and turnaround the economy:
Debt Reduction (loan agreements)
Cuts in Government Spending (hurt the poor)
Privatization (still controls PEMEX) 24 Billionaires overnight
Opening the Economy- NAFTA

33. Issues: Poverty Immigration Drugs Environment Crime
Overpopulation/rapid Growth (1.1.5% growth rate CIA Factbook)

34. In Conclusion Regime Type:
State Corporatist Structure: Central, authoritarian rule that allows input from interest groups outside of government. Camarilla system allowed leaders of important groups, business elites, workers, and peasants to serve in high government offices.

35. In Conclusion Today: Political and Economic Reforms
Corporatism still characteristic of policymaking
Is Mexican government authoritarian or democratic?
Is the economy centrally controlled or operate under free market principles?
Direction of Transition- toward liberal democracy and capitalism

36. In Conclusion
Modern government types (modernization theory) have democratic systems and are measured by:
Political Accountability: Regular, free, and fair elections
Political Competition
Political Freedom
Political Equality
Mexico is in transition between an authoritarian and democratic political system