vocab Mexico

Amerindian

Indigenous people of Mexico; often poorer and live in the south.

Amparo

A legal protection in Mexico, like a constitutional rights appeal.

Anticlericalism

Opposition to church power in politics, especially the Catholic Church.

Calderón, Felipe

PAN president (2006–2012); started Mexico’s war on drug cartels.

Cárdenas, Lázaro

President (1934–1940); nationalized oil and supported land reform.

Caudillos

Military or political strongmen with personal power; common after independence.

Chiapas Rebellion

1994 uprising by Zapatistas (EZLN), fighting for indigenous rights.

Dependency Theory

Poor countries stay poor because they rely too much on rich countries.

Divided Government

When the president’s party doesn’t control the legislature.

Economic Sectors

Primary: Farming/mining (raw stuff); Secondary: Factories (making stuff); Tertiary: Services (selling stuff or helping people).

Díaz, Porfirio/Porfiriato

Long-time dictator (1876–1911); brought order and growth, but hurt poor.

Fox, Vicente

First PAN president (2000); ended 71 years of PRI rule.

Mestizo

Person of mixed European and indigenous ancestry; majority in Mexico.

Peña Nieto, Enrique

PRI president (2012–2018); faced scandals and corruption charges.

PAN (National Action Party)

Conservative, pro-business, Catholic-leaning party.

PPP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Compares what people can buy in different countries, adjusting for prices.

PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution)

Left-leaning party formed from a PRI split; supports social justice.

PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party)

Dominated politics for 71 years; centrist and corporatist.

Zapata, Emiliano

Revolutionary hero who fought for land reform and peasants’ rights.