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

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.