Concept—Interest
Aggregation
Patron-Client
Interest Aggregation
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Interest aggregation is the activity in which the
demands of individuals and groups are combined into
policy programs.
A specific program becomes politically significant when
it is backed up by substantial political resources, such as
popular votes, commitments of campaign funds, seats
in the legislature, positions of executive influence,
media access, or even armed force.
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Personal impact of dictator
Political parties
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Democratic v. authoritarian system
Interest Aggregation
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Patron Client
Personal interest aggregation
 Patron client defined as a structure in which a central
officeholder, authority figure, or group provides
benefits to supporters in exchange for their loyalty.
 Was the defining principle of feudalism
 The primitive structure of all politics
 When interest aggregation is predominantly
performed by patron-client ties, this affects the style
of the political process = static political system.
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Patron Client
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Mexican political system is permeated with patron
client relationships
The “patrons”—persons having higher political
status—provide benefits such as protection, support in
political struggles with rivals and chances for upward
political or economic mobility to their “clients”—
persons having lesser political status.
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Clients provide loyalty, deference, and useful services like
voter mobilization, political control, and problem solving to
their patrons within the official party or governmental
bureaucracy.
Apex of relationship—national authority structure
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Mexican President – presidencialismo
Patron Client and Camarilla
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Vertical grouping of several different levels of patron client
relationships in Mexico is camarilla— “political clique”
Largest and most important camarillas—those reaching the
presidential cabinet—typically have been assembled over a long
period of time, through an elaborate process of personal alliance
building.
Role of the sexenio – one six year term for president – stabilizing
conflict among leaders
Basic element that binds camarillas together is personal loyalty to
the camarilla rather than ideology.
One major consequence of this elite structure—responsiveness
and accountability of officials to the ruling party’s “mass
constituencies” and to the general public is greatly diminished.
Even for elected officeholders, the official’s only real
constituency is his boss—his principal patron
State Corporatism
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Government mediates among different groups –
no one gets too much power – divide and
conquer
PRI divided Mexico into labor, middle class and
peasant classes
PAN emerged to protect business interests
Now? Neo-corporatism (interests control),
pluralism (interests have input)
The Rent is Too Damn High
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Rents – economic term for government rewards
based on contacts/relationships not
competitiveness
Rent seeking – interest groups seeking public
policy favors
Recall guanxi in China
Nigeria – prebends/prebendalism