Alan Larson A01194290
B2 Mexican electoral & party systems
The function of an electoral system is to set rules and conditions that dictate how
elections are carried out. Depending on the specific type of electoral system in a
country, the results of elections are going to be determined in different ways. These
rules decide who can vote and for whom, who can be a candidate, how the votes are
counted, how a winner is selected, and many different factors that can affect the results.
In Mexico we see a mixed type of electoral system. Since 1988, Mexico has had a
mixed system with a majority dominant. There are 300 districts spread out through the
32 states, each with a single member, elected by relative majority. 200 other members
are selected by proportional representation in five districts of 40 seats each.
Political parties control the government, and having different political parties
implies the existence of a competition between the parties and gives the citizens the
opportunity to choose the political party that they prefer. However, there are many
countries that have a party system of 2 parties or even less. A party system regulates
the possible parties that can have the opportunity to control the government if the
different criteria are met. Mexico currently has a multi-party system that allows its
citizens to choose whatever party they think is best, and at the end of every election a
different party is chosen, with its corresponding representatives and ideas of
governance.
D. Dresser in his book “Manifiesto Mexicano” goes over the political system of
Mexico and gives his opinions. He gives his opinion about political parties in Mexico,
which is very negative. He says that political parties in Mexico nowadays only guarantee
employment to the people in the higher hierarchies of society, specially those working in
the government and directly with the party. Dresser also implies that no political party is
good, and that Mexicans have to decide between liars and thieves, to choose the lesser
of many evils. The author goes on to state that at any rate, the political party that cheats
the most is the one that wins.
A political transformation was expected to take place in 2000, this was due to
Vicente Fox being elected; the first president that was not from the Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI) to be elected since 1929. Instead of being a Pri-ista he was
from the National Action Party (PAN). Vicente Fox was succeeded by Felipe Calderón,
also from PAN. As D. Dresser states, this political transformation did not happen; none
of the PAN presidents fulfilled their promises and instead showed to be as authoritarian
as the PRI presidents. The PRI retook its power in 2012 with Enrique Peña Nieto as
president. The majority of PAN’s members wanted to collaborate and negotiate with PRI
to maintain a positive image. However, PRI broke the promises that it made to PAN in
the “Pacto por México”, they revealed all of the irregularities committed during
Calderón’s period and in general broke their integrity with what they promised PAN. In
Mexico, union leaders influence political decisions and outcomes to their favor,
determined by what outcome would be the most profitable for them.
Personally, I found very interesting what I read and I agreed with D. Dresser’s
writings most of all. I think that it is really important to point out the flaws in our country’s
political system and government. I think that right now, the future doesn’t look positive at
all for Mexico’s democracy, there’s a lot of room to improve and I think that things have
been much worse with our president. Of course, the situation has been very bad for
decades now, but I don’t feel much hope for the near future of our country; not with our
current president. Right now, we as citizens should raise our voices and state our
disconformity with the country and do our best to critique it, as well as fulfill our duties
as citizens of the country.
References:
Chapter 1 "Los sistemas electorales" and 2 "Los sistemas de partidos" de Valdés, L.
(2016). Sistemas electorales y de partidos, Cuadernos de la divulgación de la cultura
democrática. Instituto Nacional Electoral, Ciudad de México.
Chapter 2 "Cómo trastocamos la transición" de Dresser, D. (2018). Manifiesto
Mexicano: Cómo perdimos el rumbo y cómo recuperarlo. Aguilar, Ciudad de México.