Natasha BrownJoel Legitimacy Most Mexican citizens consider government to be legitimate Revolution of 1910 Revolutions are seen as positive historical events and charisma is valued in leaders ID: 571325
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Mexico Sovereignty, Authority and Power
Natasha Brown-JoelSlide2Slide3
Legitimacy
Most Mexican citizens consider government to be legitimate
Revolution of 1910
Revolutions are seen as positive historical events and charisma is valued in leaders
Current constitution was written during 1917 for democratic, three branch government Slide4
Historic Traditions
Colonialism
Spain vs the indigenous people, resulting in Aztecs being defeated in 1521 by Spain
Missionaries introduced Catholicism
Chaos of 19th and 20th century
Emphasis on economic development
Government controlled gas industries
Increased agriculture and trade with countries Slide5
Authoritarianism
Colonial structure made from Spain, leader was chosen by Spanish King
Spanish arrived in early 16th century and Mexico later won independence in 1821
After Mexican independence all of Mexico's presidents were military generals who stayed authoritarian from Spanish rule
Strong-arm tactics from military political leaders
Economic growth has been reshaping the political system Slide6
Populism
Revolutions of 1810 and 1910 lead to more rights for the common Mexican citizen
Peasants led by charismatic leaders for rights
Modern Zapatista movement reflects historical tradition
Southern part of country holds more historical traditions Slide7
Power Plays and Divisions Within the Elite
Competitive splits among elites examples:
-Revolution leaders of dissenters of 1810 and 1910 revolution
-Warlords of early 20th century
-Politicos vs tecnicos of late 20th century
Current party leaders often at odds
-Election crisis of 2006 Slide8
Instability and Legitimacy Issues
Political history is full of conflict and violence with political issues
Many assassinations with political leaders and candidates
1994 had major presidential candidate assassinated
Most Mexicans believe government is legitimate
Current changes still are seen as unstable Slide9
Political Culture
Strong nationalism
Strong sense of national identification based on common history with revolutions
Dominant religion- Catholic
Dominant language- Spanish
No official language Slide10
Importance of Religion
Until 1920s, Catholic church was greatly active in politics and priests would lead movements
In revolutionary era of early 20th century, gov developed an anti-cleric position
Current politics have lost great influence from church
Large percentage of Mexicans are strong Catholics
Catholic belief influences political values and behaviors
About 83% of Mexican citizens identify as Catholic in population Slide11
Patron-Clientelism
System of groups based on personal connections and leadership to hold Mexico together
‘An eye for an eye’ concept is commonly used
Patron-client networks extend from political elites to voter helping organizations
Democratization and industrialization have put stress on this system for current government
Some signs of decline of clientelism but corporatism is still a big influencer in policymaking Slide12
Economic Dependency
Place among other countries
Seen as a ‘shadow’ among more powerful countries
Mexico currently struggles with gaining its economic independence
Negative stigmas associated with Mexican economySlide13
Geographic Features
One of most geographically diverse countries in world
Country is about three times the size of France
Common tropical destination which brings in profit
Includes mountains, plains, plateaus, valleys, rain forests, and deserts Slide14
Natural resources
Lots of oil and silver among other natural resources but has issues with managing them well
Petroleum is country's most valuable mineral resource
Have positively influenced the country and the United States
Has not brought much happiness to the Mexican people Slide15
Border with the US
2000-mile long border
Conflicts over migration and independence
Much border control from the United States to keep out Mexican immigrants
Ongoing issues
About 170,000 Mexicans are said to illegally cross into the US each year
Currently have border control, fences, walls and the Rio Grande as separation between countries Slide16
Population
106 million people
Most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world
Ranked 10th for being most populated country
Population growth is at 1.8 percent which is less that earlier generations but is still increasing fast
About 50% Mexicans live in the 55 most populated cities with Mexico city being the most populated at about 8.8 million people and its metropolitan area at 20.1 million Slide17
Sources
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/border-issues/2016/10/09/how-many-mexicans-actually-cross-border-illegally/91280026/
http://mexicanhistory.org/colonial.htm
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/mexican-revolution-and-the-united-states/constitution-of-1917.html
https://edsitement.neh.gov/feature/mexican-revolution-november-20th-1910
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/mexican-revolution/