Josefina Vazuqez Mota (PAN)POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF YOUR

CANDIDATE/PARTYNEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF YOUR

CANDIDATE/PARTY

Enrique Pena Nieto (PRI)POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF YOUR

CANDIDATE/PARTYNEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF YOUR

CANDIDATE/PARTY

The Presidency

• Head of government and state.• One 6-year term (sexenio)

• Mexico’s government=Presidential System

Presidential PowersVIRTUAL DICTATOR UNDER PRI

• Initiate legislation– All legislative ideas were passed

• Issue decrees• Authorize new expenditures• Appointed a large number of officials

– Patron-Client system (CAMARILLAS)– Tasked to implement his ideas

• Appointed his successor (DEDAZO)– Changed in 2000– All parties have primaries

Bureaucracy

• Based on Patron-Client Network– NOT merit-based

• 1 out of every 5 Mexicans works for government (heavily PRI).– Loyal to bosses in the network.

Process for securing a passport in Mexico.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/americas/09mexico.html

Struggles of Fox and Calderon

LEGISLATIVE• PAN presidents did not have a legislative

majority.• President’s initiatives often blocked.BUREAUCRATIC• PRI bureaucrats had all the experience• Couldn’t fill all high-level positions with

experienced PAN.• Kept many corrupt PRI

Mexican Legislature

BICAMERAL• Upper House: Senate– 128 seats– Six-year term

• Lower House: Chamber of Deputies– 500 seats– Three-year term

• Can only serve ONE TERM– Lack of legislative expertise

Mexico’s Electoral System

MIXED MEMBER PROPORTIONAL VOTING

(MMP)

• 1964: Proportional introduced

• Chamber of Deputies (500 seats)– 300 SMD (FPTP)– 200 Proportional

PARTY NUMBER OF SEATS

PRI 241PAN 147PRD 72

Green 17Labour 9

New Alliance 8Convergence 6

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES: 2009

Mexico’s Electoral System

• 32 States (Including federal district of Mexico City)

• Each has 3 senators• Each party presents a list

of two candidates.• Winning party gets 2.• Second place gets 1.• 32 other seats are

proportional.

PARTY NUMBER OF SEATS

PAN 52PRI 35PRD 31

Green 4Labour 3

Convergence 2New Alliance 1

SENATE: 2006http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_of_mexico

JUDICIAL BRANCH

• Federal and State Courts• Supreme Court– Power of Judicial Review (seldom used)– President nominates– Senate approves– Serve one 15-year term

• Becoming moreindependent

2008 Judicial Reform

CHANGES TO JUDICIAL SYSTEM

“Presumed Guilty Sheds Light”

1. Describe several of the “rights of the accused” citizens enjoy in the U.S. that are NOT protected in Mexico.

2. Mexican civil society is pressuring the government to end the violence in society. According to the reading how impacting the police and the courts?

3. What is the conviction rate in Mexico?– U.S. conviction rate is approx. 80%

Mexico: Federal System

• Thirty-One States• Federal District (Mexico City)• Each State:– Constitution– Governor, legislature, and judiciary

• Struggle to raise revenue

Interest Groups Corporatism Neo-Corporatism

• Slowly developing of a separate Civil Society• PRI Era: Co-optation– Assimilate groups into the government – Labor, business, peasant organizations

• Changes– PRI loss of power means more independent groups

finding a voice– Example: • women’s movement

Mexican Media

• Most of 20th Century– Little criticism of PRI– PRI “rewarded” sympathetic press and penalized

critics.• 1980s to Present– Increasingly independent– Multiple major media outlets• Wide range of opinions and debates

Open Net Initiative

http://map.opennet.net/filtering-pol.html

Mexico and the Catholic Church

• 80-90% of Mexicans are Catholic

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE• 1917 Constitution: Anti-Clerical• Elites feared power of the Church

– Church could not possess or administer property.• No Catholic schools

– Church officials deprived of political expression and vote.– State could determine the number of priests per region.– Cannot wear religious garb in public.

• 1992: Amended to remove anti-clericalism

“Juarez Drug Wars.” Religion and Ethics Newsweekly

Mexican Military

• Up to 1930, military leaders dominated Mexican politics.

• PRI era instituted a civilian-controlled military.

• Today, military is heavily involved in drug wars.– Some concern about corruption

• Does not intervene in Mexican politics

Mexico: What Type of Regime?Authoritarian in 20th century under PRI.

Which of the following apply to Mexico TODAY?RATE MEXICO IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES (1=Excellent; 5=Poor)

• Political Rights and Civil Liberties• Competitive Elections• Rule of Law• Civil Society• Civic Culture• Capitalism• Independent Judiciary• Civilian-controlled Military

EMERGING/TRANSITIONAL DEMOCRACY