Mexico Key Terms

Caciques

Local political bosses in Mexico who use personal influence and patronage to control politics in their region, often linked to clientelism and informal power structures.

CTM (Confederación de Trabajadores de México)

Mexico’s largest labor union confederation, historically tied to the PRI and used to control workers through corporatism and support government policies.

CNOP (Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Populares)

A sector of the PRI that represents middle-class professionals, small business owners, and bureaucrats, used to organize and control popular groups under Mexico’s corporatist system.

CNC (Confederación Nacional Campesina)

The peasants' sector of the PRI that represents rural and agricultural workers, used to mobilize and control the rural population within Mexico’s corporatist political system.

Corporatist

A political system where the government gives certain groups (like labor, business, or farmers) official roles in policy-making, often controlling them through state-sanctioned organizations to limit independent civil society.

Divided government

When the executive branch (president) and the legislature are controlled by different political parties, leading to potential gridlock or conflict in policymaking.

PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party)

The dominant political party in Mexico for most of the 20th century (1929–2000), known for its use of clientelism, corporatism, and electoral manipulation to maintain power and political stability.

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AMLO (Andrés Manuel López Obrador)

The former president of Mexico, serving since 2018. He is a member of the MORENA party and is known for his populist policies, efforts to reduce corruption, and focus on social welfare, as well as his critique of Mexico’s political establishment.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

A trade agreement signed in 1994 between the United States, Canada, and Mexico to reduce trade barriers and increase economic cooperation. It was replaced by the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) in 2020.

PAN (Partido Acción Nacional)

A center-right political party in Mexico, founded in 1939. It has traditionally supported free-market policies, democratic reforms, and religious values. The PAN broke the PRI's long hold on power by winning the presidency in 2000 and 2006.

PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática)

A left-wing political party in Mexico, founded in 1989. It emerged as a split from the PRI, advocating for democratic reforms, social justice, and greater rights for marginalized groups. It has been a major opposition party but has struggled with internal divisions in recent years.

Patron-client relationships

A system in which a powerful individual (the patron) provides resources, protection, or services to less powerful individuals (clients) in exchange for loyalty, political support, or votes. This is often seen in clientelism, where political support is traded for tangible benefits.

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Presidencialismo

A political system in which the president holds significant power and authority, often centralizing decision-making and leadership in the executive branch. In Mexico, presidencialismo refers to the strong, dominant role of the president, which historically allowed the president to control much of the government, including the legislature and judiciary, particularly during the PRI era.

Sexenios

A term used in Mexico to refer to the six-year presidential term. Each president serves a single term of six years, with no re-election allowed. The system has been a key feature of Mexico's political structure since the 19th century.

Technicos

A term used to describe technocrats in Mexico, referring to individuals with specialized technical or professional expertise who hold influential positions in government or the economy. They often prioritize economic efficiency and policy implementation over political ideology and were particularly prominent during the PRI era, especially in areas like economic policy and governance.

ISI (Import Substitution industrialization)

An economic policy aimed at reducing dependency on foreign goods by promoting domestic industries. Countries adopting ISI, like Mexico in the mid-20th century, sought to develop their own industries through tariffs, subsidies, and government intervention, encouraging local production to replace imports.

Neoliberal economic development model

An economic approach that emphasizes free markets, privatization, deregulation, and trade liberalization. It advocates for reducing the role of the state in the economy, promoting competition, and encouraging foreign investment. This model became prominent in many countries, including Mexico, starting in the 1980s as a response to economic crises and is associated with policies like reducing government spending, privatizing state-owned enterprises, and opening markets to global trade.

Maquiladoras

Factories in Mexico that primarily assemble imported materials into finished products for export, often to the United States. These factories benefit from low labor costs and tax incentives under trade agreements like NAFTA. They are a key part of Mexico's manufacturing sector, though they have been criticized for labor exploitation and environmental concerns.