CITIZENS, SOCIETY AND THE STATEBY EMMANUELMINJA

BACK GROUND INFO

• Mexican citizens have participated with their government through the informal patron-client system.

• The patron clientelism is a relation in which “patron” gain the support of “clients” through the mutual exchange of benefits and obligation

• Camarilla a politician’s personal following in a patron client relationship.

• Peasants in a camarilla received jobs, financial assistance, family advice, and sometimes even food and shelter in exchange for votes.

Cleavages

• Cleavages of Mexico are often Crosscutting, but in recent years they have often coincided

• Cleavages with the most direct impact on the political system are: Mestizo V. Amerindian North v. South Urban v. rural Social Class

Ethnicity

Mestizo• Almost 60% of

Mexicans are a blend of European and Amerindian descent

• 10% can speak the indigenous Language

• Most of Mexico’s Wealth Lay with the Mestizo Population.

Amerindian• Most Amerindian

people live in rural area and are very poor. • Nearly 30% of

Mexicans consider themselves Amerindian

Region

North• Substantial middle

class with relatively high levels of education• Population is more

prosperous• Very dry and

mountainous• More likely to vote

PAN

South• Less educational

opportunities and skilled labor

• Large amount of population is Amerindian

• Low average income than in the north

• Largely subtropical • More likely to vote

PRI

URBAN V. RURAL

Rural• PRI and the

patron- clientelism system were intended to control illiterate peasants in exchange for support

Urban• Today’s Mexico is

more than 75% urban

• Literacy rate is about 90%

• Voters are less inclined to support the PRI

• Often receptive to political and economic reform.

URBAN V. RURAL

Social Class

• Gini coefficient was .48 in 2009, which means that economic inequality is very high.• In 2002• The wealthiest 10% earned 35.6% of

Mexico’s income • The poorest 10% of the population earned

about 1.6% of Mexico’s income.• The economic divide translate into higher

infant mortality rates, lower levels of education, and shorter life expectancies among the poor.

Social Class

• In recent years Mexico’s middle class has been growing due to the informal economy from industries and service businesses.• Middle class people are more likely to support

PAN, and are more likely to vote than the poor,

Decrease in poverty

Percentage of Mexicans who cant afford food, education or house goods has decreased greatly since the 1950, although poverty still exists in large percentages.

Higher Education

• In 2009 the number of people enrolled in higher education was three times greater than those enrolled in 1980

Work sited• http://fusion.net/modern_life/story/mexico-approaches-middle-class-country-status-18016

• http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.NAHC/countries/MX?display=graph

• http://geo-mexico.com/?cat=3• https://www.google.com/search?q=mexico+urban+and+rural+areas&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=NRH0UvKqJsHjsATVu4KIDw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#q=mexico+rich+and+poor&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

• http://phs.prs.k12.nj.us/ewood/Mexico/politicssociety.htm• http://1cgmexico.wikispaces.com/Citizens,+Society,+and+the+State

• http://polazzo.com/Reading39.pdf• http://www.mexonline.com/mexagncy.htm• http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=MX• http://www.indexmundi.com/mexico/demographics_profile.html