gov chapter 8, 10, mexico

authoritarianism

authoritarianism

a political system in which a small group of people exercise power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public

bureaucratic authoritarianism

system where the state bureaucracy and the military share a belief that a technocratic leadership, focused on rational, objective, and technical expertise, can solve the problems of the country without public participation

clientelism

process where the state co-opts members of the public by providing specific benefits or favors to a single person or a small group in return for public support

corporatism

method of co-optation where authoritarian systems create or sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the interests of the public and restrict those not set up or approved by the state

Illiberal/hybrid regime

regime where democratic institutions that rest upon the rule of law are weakly institutionalized and poorly respected

kleptocracy

“rule by theft” where those in power seek only to drain the state of assets and resources

nondemocratic regime

political regime that’s controlled by a small group of individuals exercise power without being constitutionally responsible to the public

Patrimonialism

arrangement where a ruler depends on a collection of supporters within the state who gain direct benefits in return for enforcing the ruler’s will

populism

political view that does not have a consistent ideological foundation, but emphasizes hostility toward elites, established state, and economic institutions, and favors greater power in the hands of the public

rent-seeking

a process where political leaders essentially rent out parts of the state to their patrons, who as a result control public goods that would otherwise be distributed in a nonpolitical matter

resource trap

theory of development in which the existence of natural resources in a given state is a barrier to modernization and democracy

totalitarianism

nondemocratic regime that is highly centralized, possessing some form of strong ideology that seeks to transform and absorb fundamental aspects of the state, society, and economy, using a wide array of institutions

coercion

compelling individuals by threatening their lives or livelihoods

surveillance

ability to maintain a close watch over the population

co-optation

process where individuals outside an organization are brought into a beneficial relationship with it, making them dependent on the regime for certain rewards

personality cults

promotion of a leader not merely as a political figure but as someone who embodies the spirit of the nation, possesses far more wisdom and strength than the average individual and is portrayed in a quasi-religious manner

military rule

when the military controls the state (usually the result of a coup)

one-party rule

regime where a single political party monopolizes politics and bans other parties or excludes them from power

theocracy

“rule by god”, a political system based on religious authority

personal/monarchical rule

Rule by a single leader, with no clear regime or rules constraining that leadership

colonialism

an imperialist system of physically occupying a foreign territory using military force, businesses, or settlers

developing countries

lower and middle income countries

empire

a single political authority that has under its sovereignty a large number of external regions or territories and different peoples

export oriented industrialization

a mercantilist strategy for economic growth in which a country seeks out technologies and develops industries focused specifically on the export market

imperialism

system where a state extends its power to directly control territory, resources, and people beyond its borders

import substitution

Mercantilist strategy for economic growth where a country restricts imports in order to spur demand for locally produced goods

informal economy

a segment of the economy that is not regulated or taxed by the state

lower income/less-developed countries

countries that lack significant economic development or political institutionalization or both

microcredit

system where small loans are channeled to the poor through borrowing groups whose members jointly take responsibility for repayment

middle income/newly industrialized countries

historically less-developed countries that have experienced significant economic growth and democratization

middle income trap

Situation where countries experience economic growth but are unable to develop at a speed necessary to catch up with developed countries

neocolonialism

an indirect form of imperialism where powerful countries overly influence the economies of less-developed countries

neoliberalism/structural-adjustment programs/washington consensus

a policy of economic liberalization adopted in exchange for financial support from liberal international organizations; typically includes privatizing state-run firms, ending subsidies, reducing tariff barriers, shrinking the size of the state, and welcoming foreign investments

partido revolucionario institucional (PRI)

political party that emerged from the mexican revolution to preside over an authoritarian regime that lasted until 2000

enrique peña nieto

former president of mexico and the first PRI member to be elected president since democratization in 2000

maya

mexico’s largest indigenous group, concentrated in the south of the country

nahuatl

mexico’s second largest indigenous group, concentrated in central mexico

hernán cortés

spanish conquerer of mexico

cuauhtémoc

aztec military leader defeated by spanish conquerors

mexican war of independence

11-year conflict that resulted in mexico’s independence from spain in 1821

latifundistas

owners of latifundia (huge tracts of land)

caciques

local military strongmen who generally controlled local politics in mexico during the 19th century

general antonio lópez de santa anna

mexico’s first great caudillo, who dominated its politics for three decades in the mid-nineteenth century

caudillos

national military strongmen who dominated mexican politics in the 19th and early 20th centuries

mexican-american war

conflict between mexico and the united states (1846-48) where the usa gained half of mexico’s territory

war of the castes

massive 19th century uprising of mexico’s indigenous population against the mexican state

benito juárez

19th century mexican president who is considered an early proponent of a modern, secular, and democratic mexico

porfirio díaz

mexican dictator who ruled from 1876-1910 and was deposed by the mexican revolution

mexican revolution

conflict in mexico between 1910 and 1917 that established the authoritarian PRI regime

francisco madero

an initial leader of the mexican revolution and a landowner who sought moderate democratic reform

emiliano zapata

southern mexican peasant leader of the revolution most associated with radical land reform

francisco (pancho) villa

northern mexican peasant leader of the revolution who, together with emiliano zapata, advocated for a more radical socioeconomic agenda

venustiano carranza

mexican revolutionary leader who eventually restored political order, ended the mexican revolution’s violence, and defeated the more radical challenges of zapata and villa

constitution of 1917

document established by the mexican revolution that continues to regulate mexico’s political regime

north american free trade agreement (NAFTA)

an agreement between canada, mexico, and the usa that liberalizes trade between the three countries, succeeded by USMCA

partido acción nacional (PAN)

conservative catholic mexican political party that until 2000 was the main opposition to the PRI

vincente fox

mexico’s president from 2000-2006 and the first non-PRI president in more than 7 decades

francisco labastida

the first-ever PRI candidate to lose a presidential election in 2000 to Vicente Fox

felipe calderón

mexico’s PAN president from 2006-1012; he was responsible for waging a war against drug cartels that led to a major increase in violence

ernesto zedillo

mexico’s president from 1994-2000; he implemented political reforms that paved the way for fair elections in 2000

josé lópez portillo

mexican president from 1976-1982; he increased the role of the state in the economy and nationalized mexico’s banking system in an attempt to avert the national economic crisis

secretary of government

a top cabinet position that controls internal political affairs and is often a stepping stone to the president under the PRI’s regime

secretary of the treasury

mexico’s most powerful economic cabinet minister

national congress

mexico’s bicameral legislature

chamber of deputies

the lower house of mexico’s legislature

the senate

the upper house of mexico’s legislature

partido de la revolución democrática (PRD)

mexico’s main party to the left

national supreme court of justice

mexico’s highest court

federal (national) electoral institute

independent agency that regulates elections in mexico; created in 1996 to end decades of electoral fraud

municipios

county-level governments in mexican states

patron-client relationships

relationships where powerful government officials deliver state services and access to power in exchange for the delivery of political support

camarillas

vast informal networks of personal loyalty that operate as powerful political cliques

lázaro cárdenas

mexican president from 1934-1940 who implemented a radical program of land reform and nationalized mexican oil companies

Andrés manuel lópez obrador (AMLO)

current mexican “left-wing” populist president, lost presidential elections in 2006 and 2012 and challenged legitimacy of electoral process

MORENA (national regeneration movement)

leftist political party formed by AMLO in 2011

confederation of mexican workers

mexico’s dominant trade union confederation, which was a main pillar of the PRI’s authoritarian regime

televisa

mexico’s largest media conglomerate, which for decades enjoyed a closs relationship with the PRI

zapatista army of national liberation (EZLN)

largely mayan rebel group that staged an uprising in 1994, demanding political reform and greater rights for mexico’s indigenous people

san andrés peace accords

a 1996 agreement that promised to end the zapatista rebel uprising but was never implemented by the PRI government

import substitution industrialization

political-economic model followed during the PRI regime where the domestic economy was protected by high tariffs in order to promote industrial growth

PEMEX

mexico’s state owned oil monopoly

mexican miracle

the spectacular economic growth in mexico from the 1940s to 1980

maquiladoras

factories that import goods or parts to manufacture goods that are then exported; concentrated on the us-mexico border

informal sector

a sector of the economy that’s not regulated or taxed by the state

bracero program

WW2 program that allowed millions of mexicans to work temporarily in the united states

immigration reform and control act (IRCA)

US immigration legislation in 1986 that toughened american immigration laws while granting amnesty to many longtime undocumented workers