Mexico

Sovereignty, Authority, and

Power

Presentation Outline

I. Sovereignty, Authority, and Power

a) State, regimes, and nations

b) Sovereignty

c) Sources of legitimacy

d) Political culture

I. a) State, regimes, and nations

• Unlike China, Russia, and the U.K., the Mexican state is a rather recent creation.

• The Mayan and Aztec civilizations flourished on Mexican soil, but there was no unified Mexican state until Spain granted Mexico independence in 1821.

Territorial Evolution of the Mexican state

Mexico Today

Regimes

Regime Periods

1) Spanish colonial rule, 1521-1821

2) First Mexican Empire, 1821-1823

3) First Mexican Republic, 1824-1863

4) Second Mexican Empire, 1863-1867

5) Second Mexican Republic, 1867-1910

6) Mexican revolutionary period, 1910-1929

7) Constitutional rule, 1929- present

Legacy of Spanish colonialism

• Roman Catholicism

today over 80% of Mexicans identify themselves as Catholics

• Though the Mexican Constitution clearly outlines a separation of Church and State, Catholicism nevertheless influences public policy: abortion, education, etc.

• Spanish language• Social, political, and economic dominance of the

European and Mestizo (mixed)groups in Mexico

Legacy of authoritarianism

• Until 1917 Mexico did not have a democratic constitution

• From its independence in 1821 to well into the twentieth century Mexican politics were dominated by military strongmen, known as caudillos

Left: Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz

Mexican dictator from 1876-1910

1910 Revolution• Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata along with other disgruntled

generals and army officers revolted against Porfirio Diaz’ rule• The revolutionary leaders wanted democratic and agrarian

reforms.• In particular, Zapata wanted land redistribution so that

Mexico’s indigenous peasants would be able farm and improve their standard of living

• After years of bloodshed the revolution produced a democratic constitution (1917) which is still in effect today

• Major agrarian and educational reforms, however, did not begin until the 1930s

Right: Revolutionary Leaders Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata

Constitutional Rule

• The Constitution of 1917 established a democratic federal republic

• Although Mexico’s Constitution established a democratic framework, Mexico could best be characterized as a procedural democracy until 2000

• The PRI ruled Mexico for nearly 70 years during the 20th century, creating, in effect, a one-party dominant state

Can you draw any comparisons here with Russia’s system?

Nations

• Unlike other states we have studied Mexico has only one recognized nation: Mexican

• Mexicans, however, are a very diverse nation.• 70% of Mexicans are Mestizo (mixed

European/indigenous ancestry)• 15% of Mexicans are of European ancestry (mostly

Spanish and Italian)• 11% of Mexicans are of purely indigenous ancestry

There are 62 recognized and spoken indigenous languages in Mexico

Source: CIA Factbook, 2012

Areas in Mexico where more than 100,000 people speak an indigenous language

I. b) Sovereignty

• Sovereignty is an important theme in Mexican history and politics.

• At various stages in her history, Mexican sovereignty has been challenged by the United States

• Throughout the 19th century Mexico was heavily influenced and quite dependent on the US economically

PRI rule and Mexican sovereignty• PRI President Lazaro Cardenas’ reforms in the 1930s

included the nationalization of banks, oil, and other industries, many of which were previously owned by US companies

• This period of strong Mexican sovereignty lasted until the mid 1980s when Mexico’s economy was on the verge of economic collapse

• The IMF and the US government loaned money to Mexico to revive its economy- the consequence, however, was ceding a degree of sovereignty to the USA

• Other issues affecting Mexican sovereignty are the emigration of millions of Mexicans to the USA and the drug trade

1900 1938 1950 1988 1994 2000s

US companies invest heavily in Mexican oil, banking, and transportation industries.Weak Mexican Sovereignty

PRI President Cardenas nationalizes key industries.Strong Mexican Sovereignty

Mexico’s economy is on the verge of collapse, 100% + annual inflation. Mexico begins privatizing industries, allowing foreign investment and takes out loans from the IMF. Weak Mexican Sovereignty

Mexico signs the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico cedes sovereignty for economic growth.Weak Mexican Sovereignty

US border patrol and police cross into Mexican territory to stop drug trafficking.Weak Mexican Sovereignty.

NAFTAMexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. Under the terms of this agreement American and Canadian products can flow into Mexico free of Mexican government tariffs. Reciprocally, Mexican products can flow into the US and Canadian markets free of government tariffs. In return for ceding economic sovereignty, the Mexican government believed NAFTA would lead to economic growth

Has Mexico benefitted from NAFTA? The results are mixed. Mexico’s overall GDP has grown significantly since 1994. However, NAFTA has negatively affected small-scale Mexican farmers.

Mexican Federalism•Mexico is a federal state.

•There are 31 estados (states) and one capital city district, Mexico city

•Each state has its own elected unicameral state congress and elected Governor

Historically a centralized federal state• It was common practice until the mid 1990s for the PRI

president to hand pick candidates for state gubernatorial and congressional elections

• It was also common practice for the federal government to withhold funding to states whose governments did not play by PRI’s rules

• Since the mid 1990s federalism had grown stronger, as state governors can challenge policies of the national government without fear of consequence

• Nevertheless, state and local governments depend on the national government for nearly all their funding- unlike Canadian or American federalism

• The Mexican national Senate also has the power to remove state governors and dissolve state legislatures

I. c) Sources of Legitimacy

• 1917 Constitution• Competitive multi-party system since mid-

1990s

1917 Constitution-Written during the Mexican Revolution and modeled after the American Constitution.

Main Provisions:1) Separation of powers between the executive,

legislative, and judicial branches2) All land belongs to the Mexican nation. Foreigners

may not directly own land in Mexico. Private property is a privilege not a right.

3) Creation of representative government.4) 1 term limit and no re-election policy for political

office holders5) Separation of Church and State6) All citizens are equal in the eyes of the law.

Which provisions of the Mexican Constitution were not borrowed from the American model. Why do you think these provisions were added?

Competitive multi-party system

• Since the mid -1990s legislative elections at all levels of government have been competitive.

• Beginning in the mid-1990s opposition parties PAN and PRD won gubernatorial elections at the state level

• 2000 watershed presidential election: PAN candidate Vicente Fox won the election, ending 70 years of PRI’s hold on the presidency

I. d) Political Culture

• Social justice• Patron-client system• Mexican nationalism

Social Justice

• This was one of the central themes of the 1910 revolution, that all Mexican should share in the country’s wealth.

• This concept contrasts sharply with the American notion of individualism.

• The PRD Party has revived this theme in national elections.

Patron-Client system• This works very similarly to the guanxi system in China. It’s

not what you know but who you know.• Like China, Mexico’s patron-client system is woven into the

fabric of Mexican society. It breeds corruption as well.• Recent governments have tried to challenge and dismantle this

system, though it still exists

Client votes for PRI candidate

Patron rewards client with farm subsidiesPRI politician“Patron”

Mexican farmer“Client”

Typical Example below:

Mexican nationalism

• Mexican nationalism is strong and politicians have often used it as a rallying cry to curb US intervention in Mexico’s affairs

• There are a number of public policy issues affecting the US and Mexico where Mexican nationalism has played a role:

Emigration to the USDrug TradeNAFTA

Discussion Questions

1) Compare and Contrast Mexican and Russian federalism.2) Russia and Mexico share a lot in common as far as

democracy is concerned. In Mexico, old institutions were reformed; and in Russia, new institutions were created. Explain

3) The dictator Porfirio Diaz once lamented “Poor Mexico. So far from God and so close to the United States.” Explain what he meant by this. Does this still hold true?

4) Why do you think the 1917 Constitution is so central to the Mexican regime’s legitimacy?