MEXICO

1. MEXICO Part 2

2. “The Porfiriato” (1876-1911) Military coup staged by Porfirio Diaz in 1876 promised to serve a single term, instead ruled for 34 years installed the cientificos influences: stability authoritarianism foreign investment and economic growth growing gap between rich and poor competition among elites ended Diaz’s regime with a coup from within  Revolution of 1910

3. the chaotic early 20th century Revolution of 1911 set off a period of warlordism and popular uprisings that lasted until 1934 influences: patron-clientelism Constitution of 1917 conflict with the Catholic Church – the Cristero Rebellion establishment of PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) : stabilized conflict

4. The Cardenas Upheaval 1934-1940 • Lazaro Cardenas: ‘the Roosevelt of Mexico’ • stabliizedand radicalized Mexican politics • many changes: • redistribution of land - ejidos • nationalization of industry • investments in public works • encouragement of peasant and union organizations • concentration of power in the presidency • import substitution industrialization • state corporatism

5. The emergence of the technicosand the pendulum theory President Miguel Aleman rejected many of Cardenas’ socialist reforms promoted economic liberalization next president shifted emphasis back 1970s: pendulum stopped, technicos took control of the government and PRI : moderate, free-market approach 1980s: neoliberalism: free markets, balanced budgets, privatization, free trade, limited government intervention in the economy the ‘Mexican miracle’: huge GNP growth based on oil, followed by oil bust conflict between politicos and tecnicos

6. citizens, society, and the state • camarillas (patron-client networks) are interwoven into the fabric of Mexican politics • Clientelism gives the government the upper hand • role of the citizen is changing as political parties become more competitive • cleavages: • social class • urban vs. rural • mestizo vs. Amerindian • north vs. south • often cross-cutting, but recently have coincided: urban, middle-class, northern mestizos vs. rural, poor, southern Amerindians

7. political participation • until recently, citizens lived under authoritarian rule by political elite • participation characterized by revolution and protest • now, increasing participation through legitimate, regular elections • patron-clientelism remains an important factor in political participation, but modernization tends to break this up • ‘networks’ get blurred in large population centers • more formal forms of participation are instituted

8. protests • co-optation: government responds to citizen demands by • accomodating their demands and • including protesters in the political process • major protests: • Zapatista uprising • Oaxaca pprotest

9. voting • before 1990, PRI controlled elections on local, state and national levels • high voting rates required by patron-client system • rampant corruption, challengers easily defeated • as competing parties began to pull support from PRI, influences on voting patterns can be seen: • region • education • income

10. civil society • long-standing, lively civil society, acceptance of public protest • PRI practiced state corporatism divided interest groups into 3 sectors: • labor, peasants, middle class • each dominated by PRI-controlled groups • civil society led to the downfall of PRI and formation of PAN in 1939 • disaffection of businessmen not incorporated into the government system • led to 2000 election of Vincente Fox • PRI’s state corporatism broken up

11. Political institutions • regime type: traditionally, state corporatist • central, authoritarian rule that allows input from interest groups outside of government • transitioning toward economic and political liberalization • in the middle ‘development’ stage

12. political parties • for most of 20th century, Mexico was virtually a one-party state • today, 3 parties, and competitive elections are a reality • (1) PRI: continuous power 1920-2000 • coalition of elites • corporatist structure • patron-client system • lost presidency in 2000 but gained majority in lower legislative house in 2009

13. political parties, cont. • (2) PAN: founded as an opposition party in 1939 • created to represent business not included in PRI • opposed centralizaiton and anti-clericism • strongest support in North • regional autonomy • less government intervention in economy • fair elections • rapport with Catholic Church • support for private and religious education

14. political parties, cont. • (3) PRD ; PRI’s oppositon on the left • won 139:500 seats in lower house in 1988, floowed by gains in 2006 and losses in 209 • struggled to define a left-of-center alternative to PRI’s market-oriented policies • poorly organized • current leader: Obrrador, Mayor of Mexico City