Transcript Introduction to Mexican Politics

Environments to the Political System
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Population:
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1917
Head of State:
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1810
Year of Current
Constitution:
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761,602 sq. miles (roughly size
of U. S. – east of Mississippi
River)
Year of Independence:
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106 million
President Felipe Calderon
Hinojosa
Head of Government:
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President Felipe Calderon
Hinojosa
Language:
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Territory:
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Spanish, various Mayan,
Nahuati, Zapotec, and
other regional indigenous
languages
Religion:
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Nominally Roman Catholic
89%, Protestant 6%
 Regions
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South – more like Central America
North – along U.S. Border
Central Plateau (heartland)
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Present day Mexico City
The capital of the Aztec Empire founded in 1325
Built on Lake Texcoco, divided into four zones
Aztec legend of the City and the coat of arms
One of the largest cities in the World
 Liberal-Conservative
conflict
 Destruction of economic infrastructure
 Amerindians impoverished
 Legitimacy of ruling elite weak
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Settling Texas with
Gringos backfires
Mexican American
War
Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo
 Defeat
in Mexican war followed by more
political chaos
 French Intervention 1862-67
 Confusion of Liberal governments 1867-76
 Positivism
as “catchup” 1877-1910
 Dark side of “catchup”
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Concentration of land
holdings
Exploitation of the labor
force
 Role
of Foreigners
 Emergence of
generational strife
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1910 first of the great “social revolutions” that
shook the world
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In Mexico revolution originated with the ruling class
Anti-Porfirio Diaz and local bosses and landowners
Led by Francisco Madero
Huerta’s dictatorship & United States intervention
Descent into warlordism
 Zapata
 Pancho Villa
Venustiano Carranza and the Sonora elite
 Constitution
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of 1917
Article 3 – free, universal, secular education
Article 27 subsoil belongs to state
Article 123 worker rights
 No
reelection of the president and the
“deal” between Obregón and Calles
Sonora
Elite maintained
control during the 1930s
But era of massive social
and political upheaval
 Alvaro Obregon &
Plutarco Calles
 Calles finds his match in
Lazaro Cardenas
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Encouraged urban workers and peasants to demand land and
higher wages
Wave of strikes, protests, and petitions for breaking up large
rural estates.
Most disputes settled by the government in favor of labor
Creation of large organizations for labor and peasants
Fundamentally reshaped political institutions
Presidency: primary institution of the political system
 Sweeping powers but limited six year term
 By 1940 more Mexicans included in the national political system
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AVILA CAMACHO
(1940-46) approaches
the private sector
 Miguel Alemán (194652)
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First civilian president
since the revolution
Slowing social reform
Increased
industrialization
Miguel Alemán
Cárdenas as godfather
of the left
 Alemán as godfather
of the center
 Institutionalization in
structuring of the PRI
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Labor sector
Peasant sector
Popular sector
Paseo La Reforma: Mexico City
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Mexican Political system as oriented by Cardenas
– Aleman
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Remarkably durable
PRI would become the world’s longest continuously
ruling party (with the fall of the Soviet Communist Party)
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Political tensions
increase in 1970’s
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President Ordaz “dirty war”
Alledged execution of 700
enemies of the state
Economic roller-coaster
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Good news: discovery of
massive oil and natural gas
resources
Collapsed and so did support
for reform
Chiapas
rebellion