Mexico

Overview of State

Colonized by Spain, independence in 1821

Many presidents assassinated, averaging a president a year

President Diaz ruled for over 30 years before being overthrown during Mexican Revolution

1917 Constitution formed, political assassinations continued

1929 power sharing agreement leads to PRI

Overview of Nations

Mestizo 62%

Amerindia 30%

Catholic 83%

80% live in urban areas, 25% in Mexico city

Legitimacy

Rational-Legal legitimacy from Mexican Constitution

Regime 

Until 2000, Mexico was an authoritarian government governed by PRI

Election of 2000 was the first time a non-PRI, a PAN candidate, was elected

Since the, elections have been more free

Type of Economic System

Mixed economy  

• Half command (government company PEMEX owns all oil) 

• Half market  

Manufacturing 

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) made those at the top even wealthier but helped a lot of people get into the middle class  

Political Culture and Socialization

Very nationalist, common references to Mexico Revolution

Machismo is prominent because Catholic people are more conservative

Indigenous cultures

Family very important

PRI

Institutional Revolutionary Party

Established to end violent transitions of power

Looked like democracy (free press, multiparty elections, civil liberties) but elections were not actually free and all press was vetted by the gov, PRI candidates won every election and held power for 71 years 

PRI held power until 2012 when the first non-free candidate was democratically elected 

Ernesto Zedillo

1. President

• PRI 

• Last of the PRI authoritarian presidents, elected through fraud 

• Pushed election reforms that led to peaceful transitions of power away from PRI  

Vincente Fox

2. President

PAN candidate elected after the PRI held power for 71 years 

Felipe Calderon

2. President

• Second democratically elected candidate 

• PAN 

• Cartel violence during his presidency 

Enrique Pena Neito

3. President

• PRI Succeeded in opening the economy, reforming the oil sector, and breaking up monopolies 

• Failed to strengthen rule of law or improve transparency and reduce corruption 

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador 

4. President

• Made the Morena Party, broke with PRD 

• Increased minimal wage 

• Established national guard 

• Expanded army and navy  

Claudia Sheinbaum

5. President

Current president

Morena