CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND THE STATE

CITIZENS, SOCIETY, AND THE STATE: BACKGROUND• Mexican citizens have interacted with their

government through an informal patron-client relationship• Government has upper hand in determining

which interests to respond to and which interests to ignore• Recently, political parties have become more

competitive and democratic

CleavagesCleavages of Mexico are often

crosscutting, but have recently coincided as the north and south have been at odds.

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

Urban v. Rural

RURAL: EARLY 20th Century URBAN: PRESENT DAY

PRI and the patron-client system controlled largely illiterate peasants in exchange for support

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 Cleavage

MESTIZO V. AMERINDIAN

MESTIZO AMERINDIAN

A blend of European and Amerindian descent

Possess most of Mexico’s wealth

More likely to live in poverty in marginalized rural areas

As many as 30% of Mexicans consider themselves Amerindian

NORTH V. SOUTH

NORTH SOUTH

Very dry and mountainous

Population is more prosperous

Substantial middle class with relatively high levels of education

Generally more supportive of a market-based economy

Largely subtropical Generally less influenced

by urban areas and the U.S. Larger amount of

population is Amerindian Lower average income than

in the North Less educational

opportunities and skilled labor

Distrustful of central government

SOCIAL CLASSGini coefficient was .48 in 2009 (economic

inequality is high) In 2002:

◦ The poorest 10% of the population earned about 1.6% of Mexico’s income

◦ The wealthiest 10% earned 35.6% of Mexico's income

◦ This economic divide translates into higher infant mortality rates, lower levels of education, and shorter life expectancies among the poor

Mexico’s middle class has been growing due to the “informal economy” and from new industries and service businesses

Political Participation in Mexico

History of Political Participation

Mexico’s culture of political participation has been characterized by revolution and protest since the Revolution of 1910-1911

However, most Mexicans have been subject to authoritarian rule by an elite class, especially under the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional)

The PRI dominated Mexican politics for most of the 20th century (beginning in 1929)

History of Political Participation

Revolution and Protest:◦Revolution of 1910-1911◦Caudillos (Warlords): Formation of

PRI under President Calles in 1929◦1968 Student Protest in Tlatelolco

Plaza◦1994 Zapatista Uprising◦2006 Oaxaca Protest

History of Political Participation

Left: a 1968 student propaganda posterAbove: Subcomandante Marcos, leader of the Zapatista Rebellion

The Patron-Client SystemPolitical system emphasizes

compromise among elitesBehind-the-scenes conflict

resolution encouragedDistribution of rewards to contacts

and supportersRooted in the PRI’s camarilla

system, which granted peasants and supporters job and security benefits in exchange for votes

The Patron-Client SystemStill a determining factor in

political participation today, especially in regional elections

2006 Presidential Election: losing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador accused the PAN party of election fraud based in the camarilla system

Voter BehaviorBefore the 1990s, the PRI

controlled elections on the local, state, and national levels

However, competing parties have existed since the 1930s

Voter turnout was high in the 1994 (78% turnout), but has since declined (60% turnout in 2006)

Voter BehaviorSome factors that influenced

voter behavior in the election of 2006 were:◦Region (North v. South)◦Education (university education v. uneducated poor)

◦Income

Civil Society in Mexico

Linkage Institutions-Political Parties PAN

◦ Party to the right of PRI

◦ PRI’s oldest opposition party

◦ Advocates less government intervention

◦ Appeals to middle class, northerners, and the educated.

PRI◦ Ruled as a one party system ◦ Corporatist structure ◦ Patron-client system ◦ Appeals to rural people, and residents of southern

Mexico PRD

◦ Party left of the PRI◦ Appeals to the young, populists, and some

intellectuals

MediaThe media had little power to criticize

or to influence opinion because of the PRI

Media became more independent in the 1980s as he PRI began to lose is hold

Today there are many more international news sources such as CNN and BBC

Mexicans now have access to a much broader range of political opinions

Interest Groups The Mexican government responds to demands of interest

groups through accommodation and co-optation Because private organizations have been linked to the

government for so long, development of Mexico's civil society has been slow

In rural areas, peasant organizations are encouraged through he ejido system which grants land to these organizations from the government

Since 1980 these groups have demanded greater independence from the government

In recent years they have come together to promote better education, health services, and environmental protections

As these groups have strengthened, the political system has had to negotiate with them, transforming civil society

Women’s Role in Mexico In the early 20th century, women

had few political rights1922: region of Yucatan gives

women political rights to vote in local and regional elections

1947: Women allowed to run for office at municipal levels

1953: Full women’s suffrage granted to all provinces

Women’s Role in MexicoWomen have traditionally been responsible for

household maintenance and child rearingWomen were important in the Mexican

revolutions of the early 1900sLost much of their political influence under

President Porfirio DiazWomen and children have been traditional

targets of human trafficking since the early 20th century

Women played a significant role in the Mexican Student Movement of 1968, protesting for income and opportunity equality

Women’s Role in MexicoToday, women are an important

force in Mexican politics: parties are bound by law to run at least 30% women for the proportional representation elections

However, no major party has yet fielded a female presidential candidate, although the minor party Social Democrats and Farmers ran Patricia Mercado in 2006

MARIA ANTONIETA PEREZ REYESA representative of the province of Juarez in the Mexican Congress.