Mexico

Citizen, Society, and the StateChris Jung Pd 4

Cleavages

• Urban-Rural

• Social Class

• Mestizo-Amerindian

• North-South

• Political Cleavages

Patron-Client System

• Gives control to the government elite

• Camarilla: Hierarchy where offices and benefits were exchanged for votes and political support

• Peasants in the camarilla often exchanged votes of PRI for personal benefits

Patron-Client System Cont.

• This System explains some controversy about votes for presidential candidates

• Many Mexican citizens distrust government officials and institutions.

Urban vs Rural

• Mexico is over 75% urban with a 90% literacy rate

• Urban voters are less likely to support PRI

• Originally PRI and the patron client system were intended to use the rural illiterate citizens

Social Class

• Gini coefficient ≈ .47, dropped .54 to .5 from 2002 to 2006

• Poorest 10% receive roughly 1.6% of Mexico’s income.

• Wealthiest 10% receive roughly 35.6% of Mexico’s income.

Social Class Cont.

• Affects infant morality rates, level of education, and life expectancies.

• Middle to upper class are likely to vote and support PAN (Conservative)

Meztizo vs Amerindian

• Meztizo: Mixed European and Amerindian background

• Amerindian: “Native,” before Europeans arrived. ie; Mayan, Aztec, Olmec

• Tends to separate social classes

North vs South

• North has a higher population and is more mountainous.

• South is mostly subtropical and is less influenced by the US

• Separates education, wealth, and economy.

Political Cleavages

• North tends to be more conservative “blue”

• South tends to be more left leaning “yellow”

Political Participation

• Influenced by revolution and protests

• Mexican citizens used to be subjects under Authoritarian rule by political elites

• Now, citizens participate in greater legitimate elections

Protests

• 1968 student protests for the Olympics in Mexico City got roughly 200 students killed in Tlatelolco Plaza

• This resulted in the next president accepting more student activists in his administration

• Chiapas rebellion in 1994 represented dissatisfied amerindians from prosperous mestizo populations.

Protests Cont.

• Chiapas rebellion, sponsered by the Zapatista uprising, reminded Mexico that some citizens live in horrible conditions.

• Protest in 2006 at Oaxaca began as a teacher’s strike to the capital, but grew as more activists joined.

• Attempted to show how the PRI candidate, Ulises Ruiz the governor of Oaxaca State, won by fraud

Voter Behavior

• PRI used to control elections from a national level to local

• Corruption was abundant when challengers to the system were defeated with, “tacos,” aka stuffed ballot boxes

• After 1990 political changes, voter turnout grew with it’s peak during 1994 when 78% of eligible citizens voted

Voter Behavior Influence

• Region: In 2006, 47% of northern voters chose the PAN candidate. 40% of southern votes chose the PRD candidate.

• Education: Higher educated citizens (college education) were more likely to vote for the PAN candidate.

• Income: 50% of upper income voters chose PAN candidate.

Civil Society

• Mexico had a surprising number of groups opposing PRI

• PRI downfall started from PAN since they had the backing of powerful business interests

• PAN’s victory by Vicente Fox in 2000and 2006 led to PRI’s state corporatismbreaking up

PRI

• Practiced state corporatism

• State Corporatism: Ensure that no one group can challenge the government

• Divided interest groups into three sectors: laborers, peasants, and middle class

Statistics

• http://www.electionresources.org/mx/maps/president.php?election=2012

Piñata Time

• Who won the presidential election in 2000?

• Explain Mexico’s “blue” zone

• What are Meztizo and Amerindian usually separated by?

• What are tacos? (not food)

• If you were generally a social democratic, would you rather vote for the PRI, PAN, PRD, or the PNA candidate?