AP  Comparative  Government  and  Politics  Study  Guide  Mexico  Government    v Political  centralism  deep  roots    v Theory  –  a  federal  system  established  like  the  US  but  highly  centralized  –  

president  +  PRI  v Coalition  of  interests  –  cooperation  crime    v Government  cant  run  the  people  like  a  dictatorship  and  the  people  cant  control  

the  government    v Muncipio  Libre  free  autonomous  local  governments  (not  really)  32  states  are  

divided  by  political  interests  here  is  where  PAN  has  gathered  support  base    v Federal  government  controls  85%  of  revenues  Mexico  city  spends  45%  of  

budget    v Mexico  can  be  considered  a  modernizing  autorotation  regime    

Ø Hybrid  party  free  part  authoritarian    Ø Democratic  breakthrough  –  election  of  2000  

v Presidential  system  –  three  branches  with  checks  and  balances    v Federalism  with  autonomy  at  local  level    v In  practice  decision  making  highly  centralized  president  dominates  legislative  

judicial  branches    v Political  structure  and  institutions    

Ø Federalism  –  a  double  edged  sword    § Political  centralism    

Ø 31  states  and  federal  district    § Each  divided  into  municipalities  headed  by  mayor  and  council    

Ø Each  lawyer  of  government  successfully  weaker    Ø Struggle  against  centralism    Ø State  governors  retain  control  over  resources    Ø New  federalism  –  a  political  philosophy  of  devolution  of  the  transfer  of  

certain  powers  from  federal  government  back  to  the  states    § The  primary  objective  of  new  federalism  unlike  that  of  the  18th  century  

political  philosophy  of  federalism  is  the  restoration  and  power  which  they  lost  to  the  federal  government    

v President    Ø Dominant  political  actor  in  Mexico  for  greater  part  of  the  20th  century    Ø Possesses  broad  range  of  unwritten  but  recognized  meta  constitutional  

powers  Ø  Single  6  year  terms  (politicians  may  not  run  for  reelection)  seximo    Ø Cant  subordinate  church  to  state    Ø Controls  media  –  government  sells  advertising  bribes  reporters    Ø President  hand  picks  cabinet  –  20  members  –  ministry  of  government  most  

powerful    Ø President  used  to  select  successor  El  Tapolo  “hidden  one”  from  small  pool  of  

cabinet  officers  until  FOX  was  elected  in  2000  Ø Constitutional  powers  –  his  veto  cannot  be  overridden    Ø System  restricts  his  changes  pendulum  politics  ie.  Portcullis  nationalization  

of  banks  in  1932    Ø Parton  client  relationships  –  camarillas    

Ø Cabinet  positions  conciliated  the  losers    § Loyalty  not  ideology    

Ø President  is  supreme  client    Ø President  initiates  vetoes  decrees  legislation    Ø National  consultation  committee  –  all  ex  presidents    

v Bureaucracy    Ø Control  municipalities  –  PRI  influenced    Ø Mordida  –  the  spoils  system    Ø 3  pillars  of  society    

§ Camperismos  –  peasants  “drunk”  with  revolutionary  fervor  –  land  reform  –  CNC  interest  group    

§ Labor    § Military    

Ø Has  to  deal  with  squalor  or  one  hand  and  the  fact  that  Mexico  is  a  leading  world  debtor  nation    

Ø Oil  70%  makes  money  and  also  expectations  PEMEX  Ø Economy  is  concentrated    Ø Presidential  sources  and  the  economy  is  now  tied  together    Ø Free  trade  status  NAFTA  

v Legislature    Ø Bicameral    

§ Senate  128  members  with  a  6  year  term    § Partially  proportional  partially  appointed  partially  elected    § No  immediate  reelection    

Ø Chamber  of  deputies  –  500  member  with  a  3  year  term  used  to  be  PRI  controlled  but  not  it  is  ripe  with  PDR  and  PAN  legislators    

Ø No  immediate  reelection    Ø Politically  proportional    Ø Function  –  legitimize  the  presidency  –  it’s  a  symbol  to  the  people  that  the  

government  will  be  responsible  80%  of  presidential  legislation  is  passes  by  president  FOX  has  experienced  a  non  conformist  legislature    

Ø Mixed  elections  makes  it  harder  to  create  a  majority    Ø President  veto’s  can  take  two  forms    

§ Regular  veto  –  president  rejects  bill    § Corrective  veto  –  president  represents  congress  amend  bill  sort  of  line  

item  (but  a  request)  § Either  –  congress  can  insist  on  original  text  of  bill  by  2/3  vote    

Ø Powers  of  chambers    § Each  has  exclusive  powers  and  series  of  specialization    

Ø Party  discipline    § Very  strong  each  party  generally  votes  as  bloc    

v Executive  legislative  relations    Ø Three  key  factors  –  unified  government  high  party  discipline  in  ruling  party  

recognition  of  president  as  head  of  party    Ø No  longer  certain  new  dynamics  have  emerged    Ø Follow  constitutional  rather  than  partisan  norms    

Ø Fox  as  first  opposition  president  had  difficult  relations  with  congress    Ø Calderon  had  legislative  plurality    

v Upper  house  –  majority  vote  approve  treaties  approve  ambassadors    v Foreign  policy    v Security  threat  –  remove  state  governors  and  legislatures    v Courts    

Ø Spanish  law  with  a  sprinkling  of  US  common  law    Ø Juries  are  new  –  2016  Ø Court  system  is  elaborate  topped  off  by  a  21  justice  4  chamber  supreme  court  

which  is  highly  politicalized    Ø Corruption  has  always  infiltrated  the  system  –  drug  trade  pays  off