AP Comparative Government
Question Review w/answers
Mexico
Students using your Mexico reading packets, book, and notes please complete the
following questions. Work hard you may see these questions again on the Test.
1. What theory has left-leaning political leaders of Mexico often promoted/based
polices on?
Dependency Theory: economic development of many countries in the
world is blocked by the fact that industrialized nations exploit them.
How can a country develop when its resources (natural and human)
are controlled by a handful of prosperous industrialized countries.
Need is to est. independence.
2. Compared to the other core countries, Mexico’s purchasing power parity (PPP) is
______________________________________.(page 174)
In 2006 Mexico’s annual PPP was $10,700, less than Britain (31,800)
and Russia (12,200) but more than Iran (8,700), China (7,700) and
Nigeria (1,500)
3. What are Mexico’s strong historical traditions?
Mexico relies on code Law that was put into place by Spain when
Mexico was a colony. Common Law is used in Britain and other
English-speaking countries. Al others, including Latin America
countries are usually code based
4. Which of the following countries have strong patterns of patron-clientelism
cultures?
a. Britain
b. Russia
c. China
d. Mexico
5. During which era in history did Mexico begin to move more clearly toward neoliberalism and liberal democracy?
Late 20th century (1980’s)
6. A strong cleavage in Mexican Society between Europeans and Amerindian began
with Spanish occupation in the late 16th century. Europeans that bridged that
cleavage were usually _______________________.
Priests: set up missions that became population centers, and despite
the differences in status, they often developed great attachments to the
people they led
7. What style of government did Porfiriato have during his reign? Authoritarian
(dictatorship)
8. What is the common characteristic between the Russian, Chinese, and Mexican
revolutions of the early 20th century?
All resulted in one-party states
9. What were the reforms from the sexenio of Lazaro Cardenas? (page 185) think
economic
Ejidos, nationalization of industry, inclusion of peasant and union
organization in policymaking, investments in public works He
followed Import substitution industrialization (ISI) which employs
high tariffs to protect locally produced goods from foreign
competition, government ownership of key industries, and
government
10. The division between tecnicos and politicos among the PRI leaders developed
because of disagreements about
Economic development
11. Compare and contrast Northern Mexico and Southern Mexico
Voters in the north are more likely to vote for PAN
12. What has happened to voter participation rates in Mexican presidential elections
since 1994?
The voter rate reached its height in 1994, and has declined in the two
elections since
13. What type of cooperation do interest groups give to the Mexican government?
How does that compare to China’s interest groups?
Refuse to cooperate with the government /the government has to
bargin with or bribe the interest groups
14. What does Mexico’s high Gini coefficient (.50) mean?
Has a great deal of inequality
15. Give a list of reasons why Mexico cannot yet be declared a stable democracy.
Country does not show a consistent democratic practices for as least
40 years (still have corruption)
16. Fill in the chart below:
Geographic Features
North
Flat
Desert
Central
Mountains ranges:
3 major climate regions
South
Farming
Agriculture
Economy/Human
Demographics
Industry
US like
Subsistence Farming
Culture (Indian)
Rural
Party Affiliation
PAN
Large and small
businesses
Urban
Mexico City
PRD
PRI
17. Which of the following countries directly elect both a president and
representatives to a legislative body?
a. Britain
b. Russia
c. China
d. Mexico
18. Which of the following countries combines a plurality (first-past-the-post)
electoral system with proportional representation.
a. Britain
b. Russia
c. China
d. Mexico
19. What Mexican government program is representative of a socialist ideology? (185)
The ejido system
20. What significant change did the presidential election of 2000 bring to the political
system?
A non-PRI candidate won
21. What is the best example of a Mexican para-statal?
PEMEX
22. What is the main reason that an increasing number of women have been elected
recently to the Mexican legislature?
An election law requires political parties to sponsor women
candidates
23. What power does the Mexican Supreme Court have?
Exercise judicial review, on paper but not in reality
24. What major change happened to the Mexican military since the mid-20th century?
No longer has policymaking power
25. List the major problems for the Mexican Economy. (199-200)
overreliance on one product for export, high national debt, a large
gap between the rich and the poor, rapid and unplanned urbanization
26. Most accusations of corruption among Mexican police officers stems from their
involvement in
Drug traffiking
27. Russia is to the Chechen rebellion as Mexico is to the
Zapatista Rebellion
28. Using the picture above answer the following: The arrows on the map above
point out Mexico’s
Maquiladora district
Legislative Elections 2006
PRI
122
PAN
206
PRI
39
PRD
159
Other 13
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES
PAN
52
PRD
36
Other 1
SENATE
29. The patterns of party affiliations in Mexico’s legislature shown in the chart
predict that in the near future the government will experience
Gridlock
30. What change in patterns of party affiliations in Mexico’s legislature from 20032006?
PRD gained seats in both houses
1. The PRI Regime that dominated Mexican politics for than 70years has been
described as the “perfect dictatorship”. How did the party maintain control over
Mexico for so long without facing significant challenges to its party?
a. Founded by political elites
i. Work out conflicts within an overarching structures of
compromise than to continue to resort to violence
ii. Operated under different names till 1946
b. Mass based party that drew support from all classes in the population
c. Generate support for government, organize the electorate:
i. To vote for their candidates
ii. Distribute jobs and resources
iii. In return loyalty
d. Corporate interest of party councils
i. Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM)
1. Labor
2. most organized
3. most powerful
4. small farmers were grateful and dependent on rewards
of land and jobs
5. Remained important to PRI
ii. National Peasant Confederation (CNC)
1. peasant unions
iii. National Confederation of Popular Organization (CNOP)
1. popular sector
2. small businesses
3. community based groups
4. public employees
e. Functioned through extended networks that distributed public
resources
i. Jobs, land, development, projects, and access to public services
f. How did it work?
i. Created networks of supporters (patrons)
ii. They “delivered” votes
iii. Clients: traded allegiance to access public works
g. Worked because PRI candidates won by overwhelming support
h. Other influences:
i. Fraud
ii. Ability to distribute government largesse are central
explanations for these numbers
iii. Extremely well organized party
iv. Only party that could boast a network of constituency
organization in villages and urban community
v. Intimidation
vi. Fear and violence
vii. Informal systems
viii. Use of the media to promote the Party and squash unfavorable
stories
i. Identified with (CTM and the CNC)
i. Corruption, bossism, centralized control, lack of effective
participation
j. By 1980’s new generations were unhappy and opted to question the
PRI
k. New ways??
i. Restructure and reform
ii. CNOP was replaced – non-class based citizen
2. What events and developments account for Mexico’s transition to a more
democratic system in recent years?
a. Voters are younger, more educated, more middle class, and more
likely to live in urban areas than they were in the days of PRI success
b. 1988: only 27.3% of the population of Mexico city voted for PRI;
34.3% of urban areas
c. Elections:
i. More competitive and fairer
ii. 1990 electoral commission was created to regulate campaigns
and elections
1. 1996 became foully independent of government
iii. All parties receive government funding
iv. All have access to the media
v. Limit on campaign spending and contributions (level the
playing field)
vi. Voter registration was reformed (fraud to become a thing of
the past)
vii. Election monitoring
d. 1994:
i. Elections have been fairer
ii. Congressional, state, and municipal elections reinforced the
impression that electoral fraud is on the wane in many areas
e. Familiar how political system works and how they can extract benefits
from it
i. Understand informal rules of the game
ii. Helped maintain political stability
iii. Connection , even the poorest, are able to interact with public
system
iv. Get something out of the system
f. Increasing number of citizens are seeking to negotiate with the
government
i. Basis Citizenship rights
g. Interested in objective information and analysis of public opinion
i. Influence content and timing of government decisions and
development of strategies in election campaigns
ii. 1994-2000
1. politicians, citizens, and political activists closely
followed popularity polls
2. monitored how the image of their contender could be
molded to capture higher voter approval
3. new to Mexico: hard to assess attitudes
h. Role of media
i. Past: could not be openly opposed to government
1. used to reward sympathetic news coverage
2. penalize coverage considered hostile
3. advertising placed by the government
4. quashed stories that reflected ill of the party
ii. Today:
1. more independent
2. diversity of opinion
3. several major tv networks
4. access to CNN and other global networks
5. hear a wider range of opinion
6. reporting of debates about public policy
7. criticism of the government
i. Democratic Idea: page 247
i. Citizen rights to free speech and assembly, free and fair
elections, and responsive government are major reasons that
the power of the PRI came under so much attack
3. Describe the geographic, demographic, and economic factors behind the
significant regional differences that exist in Mexico, and explain how those
differences affect the country’s politics.
a. Most geographic diverse country in the world
i. Snow-caped mountains, volcanoes, costal plains, high plateaus,
fertile valleys, rain forest, and desert
ii. Shares a 2000 mile boarder with US
iii. Share 600 mile boarder with Guatemala
iv. Share a 160 mile boarder with Belize
v. Sierra Madre Occidental, and Sierra Madre Oriental
1. notes for peaks and valleys, plateaus, and valleys
2. microclimates, plants and animals
vi. Made communication and transportation difficult and
infrastructure expensive
b. “Human landscape”
4. More than any other country, Mexico lies in the shadow of the United States.
How has proximity to the “colossus of the north” affect Mexico’s historical
development, national identity, and foreign regions?
a. Historic relationships
i. Recognized those that distinguish themselves in confrontations
with the US
1. Remember the Alamo
2. Mexican War
3. Loss of land to US
ii. Revolution of 1910: emphasis the uniqueness of the country in
terms of its opposition to the capitalists and militarists, of the
northern country
iii. 1970’s leading Third World Countries
1. argue for enhanced bargining positions in relations with
countries of the north
iv. NAFTA
1. reality of information, culture, money, and people
flowing back and forth across the boarders
v. Labor migration;
1. Enter US as workers
2. many return to towns and villages
3. largest ethnic population in US
4. Mexican culture is preferred to US
5. influenced by strong US mass culture, including,
popular music, movies, television programs, fast food,
and consumer goods
6. Inability of Mexican economy to create jobs
7. cash remittances that migrants abroad send home to
families and communities are now almost as important
a source of income as PEMEX oil sales
8. Migration issues with US
a. Us under pressure to control the boarders
b. Convince US Govt. that allowing more migrants
to cross the boarder legally would actually
enhance US security
9. Differences in wages between US/Mexico
vi. Economic Challenges
1. Integration and what that means in a competitive
international economy
2. final abandonment of Mexico’s sovereignty
3. market-based/outward oriented development
a. affect on peasants, workers, and national
identify