Part 2
MEXICO
“The Porfiriato” (1876-1911)
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Military coup staged by Porfirio Diaz in 1876
promised to serve a single term, instead ruled for 34 years
installed the cientificos
influences:
stability
authoritarianism
foreign investment and economic growth
growing gap between rich and poor
competition among elites ended Diaz’s regime with a coup
from within  Revolution of 1910
the chaotic early 20th century
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Revolution of 1911 set off a period of warlordism and
popular uprisings that lasted until 1934
influences:
patron-clientelism
Constitution of 1917
conflict with the Catholic Church – the Cristero
Rebellion
establishment of PRI (Institutional Revolutionary
Party) : stabilized conflict
The Cardenas Upheaval 1934-1940
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Lazaro Cardenas: ‘the Roosevelt of Mexico’
stabliized and radicalized Mexican politics
many changes:
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redistribution of land - ejidos
nationalization of industry
investments in public works
encouragement of peasant and union
organizations
– concentration of power in the presidency
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import substitution industrialization
state corporatism
The emergence of the technicos and the pendulum theory
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President Miguel Aleman rejected many of Cardenas’
socialist reforms
promoted economic liberalization
next president shifted emphasis back
1970s: pendulum stopped, technicos took control of
the government and PRI : moderate, free-market
approach
1980s: neoliberalism: free markets, balanced
budgets, privatization, free trade, limited
government intervention in the economy
the ‘Mexican miracle’: huge GNP growth based on
oil, followed by oil bust
conflict between politicos and tecnicos
citizens, society, and the state
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camarillas (patron-client networks) are interwoven
into the fabric of Mexican politics
– Clientelism gives the government the upper hand
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role of the citizen is changing as political parties
become more competitive
cleavages:
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social class
urban vs. rural
mestizo vs. Amerindian
north vs. south
often cross-cutting, but recently have coincided:
urban, middle-class, northern mestizos vs. rural,
poor, southern Amerindians
political participation
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until recently, citizens lived under authoritarian rule
by political elite
participation characterized by revolution and protest
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now, increasing participation through legitimate,
regular elections
patron-clientelism remains an important factor in
political participation, but modernization tends to
break this up
– ‘networks’ get blurred in large population centers
– more formal forms of participation are instituted
protests
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co-optation: government responds
to citizen demands by
– accomodating their demands and
– including protesters in the political
process
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major protests:
– Zapatista uprising
– Oaxaca pprotest
voting
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before 1990, PRI controlled elections on
local, state and national levels
– high voting rates required by patronclient system
– rampant corruption, challengers easily
defeated
as competing parties began to pull support
from PRI, influences on voting patterns can
be seen:
– region
– education
– income
civil society
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long-standing, lively civil society,
acceptance of public protest
PRI practiced state corporatism divided
interest groups into 3 sectors:
– labor, peasants, middle class
– each dominated by PRI-controlled groups
civil society led to the downfall of PRI and
formation of PAN in 1939
– disaffection of businessmen not
incorporated into the government system
– led to 2000 election of Vincente Fox
– PRI’s state corporatism broken up
Political institutions
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regime type: traditionally, state
corporatist
– central, authoritarian rule that allows
input from interest groups outside of
government
– transitioning toward economic and
political liberalization
– in the middle ‘development’ stage
political parties
for most of 20th century, Mexico was
virtually a one-party state
 today, 3 parties, and competitive
elections are a reality
 (1) PRI: continuous power 1920-2000
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coalition of elites
corporatist structure
patron-client system
lost presidency in 2000 but gained majority in
lower legislative house in 2009
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political parties, cont.
(2) PAN: founded as an opposition party in
1939
– created to represent business not included in
PRI
– opposed centralizaiton and anti-clericism
– strongest support in North
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regional autonomy
less government intervention in economy
fair elections
rapport with Catholic Church
support for private and religious education
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political parties, cont.
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(3) PRD ; PRI’s oppositon on the left
– won 139:500 seats in lower house in 1988,
floowed by gains in 2006 and losses in 209
– struggled to define a left-of-center alternative to
PRI’s market-oriented policies
– poorly organized
– current leader: Obrrador, Mayor of Mexico City