MEXICOBy: Alex Lopez

BASIC INFO Population of about 100.2 Million Territory 761,602 sq Miles Independent since 1810 from Spain Religion Mainly Roman Catholic Languages: Spanish, Various Mayan,

Mahuatl, etc. Currency: Peso Climate: varies from tropical to desert Natural Resources: petroleum, silver,

copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber.

HISTORY OF MEXICO Revolution of 1917

Constitution

The Cardenas Upheaval

Era of Hegemonic Party Rule

MEXICAN GOVERNMENT Federal (Federal, State, Municipal)

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

Modeled after the US Government on Paper

EXECUTIVE BRANCH Constitutional Citizen President of the

United Mexican States Felipe Caldron Six-year presidential term Basic Election requirements, some

based off US presidential Requirements Can not be re-elected Elected by direct vote

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: SENATE Number of Seats: 128 senators Length of Term: 6 years Power: Foreign Affairs and

Impeachment, Enacting all public policy Election Process:Each party nominates two candidates who

run and are elected together by direct vote. The party of the two candidates that won the second highest vote within the state or the Federal District then assigns a senator to occupy the third seat.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES Number of Seats: 500 deputies Length of Term: 3 years Power: Fiscal Legislation, Enacting all

public policy Election Process:-300 "majority deputies" are directly

elected by plurality from single-member districts

-200 "party deputies" are assigned through rules of proportional representation

JUDICIAL BRANCH: SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE NATION Selection Process: Proposed by the

president and approved by the senate Several Powers broken down by the

different courts. Current Head: Juan Nepomuceno Silva

Meza: Supreme Justice/Liberal

CABINET The president confers broad powers on

cabinet secretaries, although the cabinet rarely meets as a single body. There is a hierarchy of influence among the different cabinet posts, and the power of a minister or secretary varies, depending on the priorities set by a particular president as well as the resources available at the time.

POLITICAL PARTIES OF MEXICO Three Main Parties Run Mexico

PRI: centrist or even neoliberal party and Centre-Left.

PAN: Conservative and Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum

PRD: Left wing, democratic socialist party

POLITICAL RECRUITMENT/PARTICIPATION

Political Elite Recruitment: From middle class, mainly born in Mexico city with secondary education and a degree in economics or public administration

Voting, attending campaign rallies, and petitioning public officials.

MEDIA Media is the source of legitimacy

Used to be fined for speaking out against the government

Now has full freedom, informs the public on all issues.

ECONOMY Is a First world country

Industrialized

Several Factors lead to it being an Industrialized country

Free Market Economy

State-Owned Industries

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Part of Several International

Organizations

Power of the international Organizations

Influence of such organizations on Mexico

PUBLIC POLICY Current Pressing Political Issue: Illicit

Drugs: Drug tracking through Mexico to the US, and cultivation of drugs in Mexico.

Recent Policies: North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, National Solidarity Program, UN.

INTEREST GROUP Corporatist system Divided into 3 sectors; labor, peasant

and popular Several Key interest groups; CTM,CNC,

CNOP, Roman Catholic Church Work the same as the US Lobbying, political pressure on leaders

to in act laws for supporters, political campaigns rallies, pushing for social reforms

PUBLIC OPINION Originally the Mexican people put up

with corruption to extract benefits, but after the horrible corruption with the Lopez Portillo and Salinas administration, people no longer wanted to put up with what they said was drug money politics.

Most people vote, though it is not mandatory

ETHNICITY /RELIGION Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%,

Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)

No real ethnic clashes

SOURCES THE BOOK CIA FACTBOOK