AP COMP GOV - MEXICO

Ejidos

Communal farmland owned by the state and worked collectively by peasants.
They expanded rural access to land, especially under Cárdenas, shaping Mexico’s agricultural and social structure.

Ejidatario

A member of an ejido who has the right to farm communal land.
Ejidatarios formed the backbone of rural politics and benefited from land reforms.

Anticlericalism

Government opposition to the political power of the Catholic Church.
It led to major conflicts like the Cristero War and shaped Mexico’s secular state.

One-Party Dominant State

A system where one party overwhelmingly controls politics despite elections.
Mexico experienced this under the PRI, which ruled for over 70 years and centralized political power.

Technocrat

A policy expert trained in economics or technical fields rather than in traditional politics.
Technocrats shaped Mexico’s shift toward market reforms and globalization in the 1980s–1990s.

Cooptation

Bringing opposition groups into the political system to reduce conflict.
The PRI used cooptation to maintain control, reducing open rebellion but limiting true democracy.

Corporatism

A system where the state organizes and controls interest groups (workers, peasants, business).
In Mexico, it allowed the PRI to manage society and stay in power by controlling these sectors.

Patron-Client Relationship

A network where leaders give benefits in exchange for loyalty.
This helped the PRI maintain support but encouraged corruption and unequal access to resources.

Civil Society

Organizations and groups independent of the government.
Mexico’s civil society has grown since the 1990s, strengthening democracy and activism.

Parastatal

A government-owned or government-controlled corporation.
Mexico relied heavily on parastatals like PEMEX to control major industries.

Amparo

A legal protection allowing citizens to challenge government actions that violate rights.
It strengthened judicial oversight and individual rights in Mexico’s legal system.

Dependency Theory

The idea that wealthy nations exploit developing countries, keeping them dependent.
It influenced Mexico’s push for economic nationalism and protectionist policies in the 20th century.

Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI)

A strategy that replaces imported goods with domestically produced ones.
Mexico used ISI to grow industry in the mid-1900s, but it eventually led to inefficiency and debt.

Nationalization

The government taking control of private industries.
Mexico’s big example is the 1938 oil nationalization, creating PEMEX and boosting national pride.

Privatization

Selling state-owned companies to private investors.
Mexico privatized many industries in the 1980s–1990s, promoting competition but increasing inequality for some sectors.

Political Culture

The shared beliefs and values about politics held by a society.
Mexico’s political culture includes distrust in government, strong nationalism, and growing democratic participation.

Sexenio

The six-year presidential term in Mexico with no re-election.
It prevents long-term dictatorships but also makes long-term policy planning difficult.

Camarillas

Informal political networks or cliques within parties.
They shaped PRI politics by determining who gained positions and favors.

Caudillos

Strong, charismatic leaders who command personal loyalty.
Caudillismo influenced early Mexican politics and contributed to instability after independence.

Neoliberalism

Economic policies that favor free markets, reduced government role, and privatization.
Neoliberal reforms transformed Mexico’s economy in the 1980s–1990s and led to NAFTA.

Principle of Non-Reelection

Rule preventing officials (especially presidents) from serving consecutive terms.
Created after Díaz to stop dictatorships and remains a core part of Mexican democracy.

Maquiladoras

Factories near the U.S. border that assemble imported materials for export.
They boosted jobs and trade, especially after NAFTA, but raised concerns about wages and labor rights.

Mestizo

A person of mixed Indigenous and European heritage.
Mestizos make up the majority of Mexico’s population and shape its national identity.

PEMEX

Mexico’s state-owned oil company created after the 1938 nationalization.
It became a major source of national revenue and political power, though later struggled with debt and inefficiency.

Amerindians

Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
In Mexico, they face social and economic inequality but are central to cultural identity and political movements.

NAFTA

A 1994 trade agreement between Mexico, the U.S., and Canada.
It increased trade and investment but also reshaped labor markets, agriculture, and manufacturing (like the rise of maquiladoras).

Miguel Hidalgo

(1810–1811, independence leader) Started the Mexican War of Independence with the Grito de Dolores and became a national symbol of liberation.

Porfirio Díaz

(1877–1880; 1884–1911, president) Modernized Mexico with railroads and industry but created inequality and authoritarian rule, leading to the Revolution.

Plutarco Elías Calles

(1924–1928, president) Strengthened the state, enforced anticlerical laws causing the Cristero War, and founded the party that became the PRI.

Lázaro Cárdenas

(1934–1940, president) Nationalized oil (creating PEMEX) and expanded land reform, reshaping Mexico’s economy and rural society.

Carlos Salinas de Gortari

(1988–1994, president) Led major neoliberal reforms and signed NAFTA, but his term ended with political scandals and economic crisis.

Vicente Fox

(2000–2006, president) First non-PRI president in 71 years, ending one-party dominance and improving democratic competition.

Felipe Calderón

(2006–2012, president) Launched Mexico’s major drug war against cartels, increasing nationwide violence.

Enrique Peña Nieto

(2012–2018, president) Passed energy and telecom reforms but faced widespread corruption scandals and declining public trust.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)

(2018–2024, president) Expanded social programs and reduced poverty but faced criticism for security problems and centralizing power.

Claudia Sheinbaum

(2024–present, president) Mexico’s first female president, continuing AMLO’s social policies while focusing on climate and inequality.

Subcomandante Marcos

(EZLN spokesperson, 1994–present influence) Led the Zapatista movement, bringing global attention to Indigenous rights and anti-neoliberalism.

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

Founder: Plutarco Elías Calles; Ideology: catch-all / centrist, historically corporatist and nationalist.

National Action Party (PAN)

Founder: Manuel Gómez Morín; Ideology: centre-right, conservative and Christian-democratic with support for free markets and private enterprise.

MORENA (National Regeneration Movement)

Founder: Andrés Manuel López Obrador; Ideology: left-wing populist and progressive, anti-neoliberal, pro social welfare and state involvement in strategic industries.