Environments to the Political System. Population: 106 million Territory: 761,602 sq. miles...

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Environments to the Political System

Transcript of Environments to the Political System. Population: 106 million Territory: 761,602 sq. miles...

Environments to the Political System

Population: 106 million

Territory: 761,602 sq. miles (roughly

size of U. S. – east of Mississippi River)

Year of Independence: 1810

Year of Current Constitution: 1917

Head of State: President Felipe Calderon

Hinojosa Head of Government:

President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa

Language: Spanish, various Mayan,

Nahuati, Zapotec, and other regional indigenous languages

Religion: Nominally Roman

Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%

RegionsSouth – more like Central AmericaNorth – along U.S. Border Central Plateau (heartland)

• Present day Mexico City• The capital of the Aztec Empire founded in 1325• Built on Lake Texcoco, divided into four zones • Aztec legend of the City and the coat of arms• One of the largest cities in the World

Liberal-Conservative conflict Destruction of economic infrastructure Amerindians impoverished Legitimacy of ruling elite weak

• Settling Texas with Gringos backfires

• Mexican American War

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Defeat in Mexican war followed by more political chaos

French Intervention 1862-67 Confusion of Liberal governments 1867-76

Positivism as “catch-up” 1877-1910

Dark side of “catch-up”Concentration of land

holdings Exploitation of the

labor force Role of Foreigners Emergence of

generational strife

1910 first of the great “social revolutions” that shook the world In Mexico revolution originated with the ruling

class Anti-Porfirio Diaz and local bosses and

landowners Led by Francisco Madero Huerta’s dictatorship & United States

intervention Descent into warlordism

Zapata Pancho Villa

Venustiano Carranza and the Sonora elite

Constitution of 1917Article 3 – free, universal, secular educationArticle 27 subsoil belongs to stateArticle 123 worker rights

No reelection of the president and the “deal” between Obregón and Calles

Sonora Elite maintained control during the 1930s

But era of massive social and political upheaval

Alvaro Obregon & Plutarco Calles

Calles finds his match in Lazaro Cardenas

Encouraged urban workers and peasants to demand land and higher wages

Wave of strikes, protests, and petitions for breaking up large rural estates.

Most disputes settled by the government in favor of labor Creation of large organizations for labor and peasants Fundamentally reshaped political institutions

Presidency: primary institution of the political system Sweeping powers but limited six year term By 1940 more Mexicans included in the national political

system

Miguel Alemán

AVILA CAMACHO (1940-46) approaches the private sector

Miguel Alemán (1946-52) First civilian president

since the revolution Slowing social reform Increased

industrialization

Paseo La Reforma: Mexico City

Cárdenas as godfather of the left

Alemán as godfather of the center

Institutionalization in structuring of the PRI Labor sector Peasant sector Popular sector

Mexican Political system as oriented by Cardenas – Aleman Remarkably durable PRI would become the world’s longest

continuously ruling party (with the fall of the Soviet Communist Party)

Political tensions increase in 1970’s President Ordaz “dirty

war” Alledged execution of

700 enemies of the state Economic roller-

coaster Good news: discovery of

massive oil and natural gas resources

Collapsed and so did support for reform

Chiapas rebellion