CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND THE STATE
CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND THE STATE: BACKGROUND• Mexican citizens have interacted with their
government through an informal patron-client relationship• Government has upper hand in determining
which interests to respond to and which interests to ignore• Recently, political parties have become more
competitive and democratic
CleavagesCleavages of Mexico are often
crosscutting, but have recently coincided as the north and south have been at odds.
Cleavages with the most direct impact on political system are:◦Social class◦Urban v. rural◦Mestizo v. Amerindian◦North v. South
Urban v. Rural
RURAL: EARLY 20th Century URBAN: PRESENT DAY
PRI and the patron-client system controlled largely illiterate peasants in exchange for support
Today’s Mexico is more than 75% urban
Literacy rate is about 90%
Voters are less inclined to support the PRI
Often receptive to political and economic reform
Urban v. Rural Cleavage
MESTIZO V. AMERINDIAN
MESTIZO AMERINDIAN
A blend of European and Amerindian descent
Possess most of Mexico’s wealth
More likely to live in poverty in marginalized rural areas
As many as 30% of Mexicans consider themselves Amerindian
NORTH V. SOUTH
NORTH SOUTH
Very dry and mountainous
Population is more prosperous
Substantial middle class with relatively high levels of education
Generally more supportive of a market-based economy
Largely subtropical Generally less influenced by
urban areas and the U.S. Larger amount of
population is Amerindian Lower average income than
in the North Less educational
opportunities and skilled labor
Distrustful of central government
SOCIAL CLASSGini coefficient was .48 in 2009 (economic
inequality is high) In 2002:
◦ The poorest 10% of the population earned about 1.6% of Mexico’s income
◦ The wealthiest 10% earned 35.6% of Mexico's income◦ This economic divide translates into higher infant
mortality rates, lower levels of education, and shorter life expectancies among the poor
Mexico’s middle class has been growing due to the “informal economy” and from new industries and service businesses
Political Participation in Mexico
History of Political ParticipationMexico’s culture of political
participation has been characterized by revolution and protest since the Revolution of 1910-1911
However, most Mexicans have been subject to authoritarian rule by an elite class, especially under the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional)
The PRI dominated Mexican politics for most of the 20th century (beginning in 1929)
History of Political ParticipationRevolution and Protest:
◦Revolution of 1910-1911◦Caudillos (Warlords): Formation of
PRI under President Calles in 1929◦1968 Student Protest in Tlatelolco
Plaza◦1994 Zapatista Uprising◦2006 Oaxaca Protest
History of Political Participation
Left: a 1968 student propaganda posterAbove: Subcomandante Marcos, leader of the Zapatista Rebellion
The Patron-Client SystemPolitical system emphasizes
compromise among elitesBehind-the-scenes conflict resolution
encouragedDistribution of rewards to contacts
and supportersRooted in the PRI’s camarilla system,
which granted peasants and supporters job and security benefits in exchange for votes
The Patron-Client SystemStill a determining factor in
political participation today, especially in regional elections
2006 Presidential Election: losing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador accused the PAN party of election fraud based in the camarilla system
Voter BehaviorBefore the 1990s, the PRI
controlled elections on the local, state, and national levels
However, competing parties have existed since the 1930s
Voter turnout was high in the 1994 (78% turnout), but has since declined (60% turnout in 2006)
Voter BehaviorSome factors that influenced
voter behavior in the election of 2006 were:◦Region (North v. South)◦Education (university education v. uneducated poor)
◦Income
Civil Society in Mexico
Linkage Institutions-Political Parties PAN
◦ Party to the right of PRI◦ PRI’s oldest opposition party ◦ Advocates less government intervention◦ Appeals to middle class, northerners, and the educated.
PRI◦ Ruled as a one party system ◦ Corporatist structure ◦ Patron-client system ◦ Appeals to rural people, and residents of southern
Mexico PRD
◦ Party left of the PRI◦ Appeals to the young, populists, and some
intellectuals
MediaThe media had little power to criticize
or to influence opinion because of the PRI
Media became more independent in the 1980s as he PRI began to lose is hold
Today there are many more international news sources such as CNN and BBC
Mexicans now have access to a much broader range of political opinions
Interest Groups The Mexican government responds to demands of interest
groups through accommodation and co-optation Because private organizations have been linked to the
government for so long, development of Mexico's civil society has been slow
In rural areas, peasant organizations are encouraged through he ejido system which grants land to these organizations from the government
Since 1980 these groups have demanded greater independence from the government
In recent years they have come together to promote better education, health services, and environmental protections
As these groups have strengthened, the political system has had to negotiate with them, transforming civil society
Women’s Role in Mexico In the early 20th century, women
had few political rights1922: region of Yucatan gives
women political rights to vote in local and regional elections
1947: Women allowed to run for office at municipal levels
1953: Full women’s suffrage granted to all provinces
Women’s Role in MexicoWomen have traditionally been responsible for
household maintenance and child rearingWomen were important in the Mexican
revolutions of the early 1900sLost much of their political influence under
President Porfirio DiazWomen and children have been traditional
targets of human trafficking since the early 20th century
Women played a significant role in the Mexican Student Movement of 1968, protesting for income and opportunity equality
Women’s Role in MexicoToday, women are an important
force in Mexican politics: parties are bound by law to run at least 30% women for the proportional representation elections
However, no major party has yet fielded a female presidential candidate, although the minor party Social Democrats and Farmers ran Patricia Mercado in 2006
MARIA ANTONIETA PEREZ REYESA representative of the province of Juarez in the Mexican Congress.