Mexico’s Political System: From PRI Dominance to Multi-Party Democracy
Presidential System:
The president is elected by national popular vote. The legislature is elected separately, with an upper house (Senate) consisting of three senators representing each of the states and a lower house (Chamber of Deputies) representing the population.
Senate Elections:
Senators run for office in pairs, and there is a first and second candidate in each pair. The pair that gets the most votes takes the first two senate seats, and the first candidate in the second pair gets the third seat. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was guaranteed a minimum of two senate seats out of three in every state. The lower house is elected by a combination of first-past-the-post and proportional representation, and the number of seats selected proportionally was increased to appease those who wanted multi-party rule.
Mexican Constitution:
The Mexican Revolution had a great impact on Mexican political culture, especially on the constitution of 1917, and the idea that political power should be limited by the constitution.
The constitution enshrined several social and economic rights, including:
- Universal health care and education
- Social security
- Agrarian reform
- Pro-labor laws
- Pro-Mexican soil rights limiting the influence of foreign countries
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI):
The PRI dominated Mexican politics for 70 years, using a combination of clientelism, corporatism, and electoral fraud to maintain power.
- The PRI used patron-client networks to link the party to the poor and rural population.
- Voting for the PRI was considered patriotic.
- PRI dominance came to an end from internal and external pressures, culminating in the presidential election of 2000, when Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) won.
National Action Party (PAN):
The PAN was the first party to seriously challenge the PRI. It advocated for:
- More regional autonomy
- Rejection of anticlericalism
- Less government control of the economy
- Reducing corporate presence in government and creating fair elections
Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD):
The PRD emerged as a left-leaning party, drawing support from:
- Urban residents
- Younger voters
- Those seeking more equitable economic opportunities
The PRD advocated for:
- Attacking corporations and corruption
- Stronger environmental policies
- Rights for minorities
Isolationist Economy: Positives & Negatives
To block foreign involvement and maintain control, the PRI implemented a policy of import substitution industrialization. This policy had both positive and negative consequences:
Positives:
- Increased Mexican GDP and GNP
- Increased literacy rates
- Drop in infant mortality
- Allowed for rapid industrialization
Negatives:
- Larger income gap
- Decreased worker efficiency and motivation
- Diminished value and quality of goods
- Economic growth eventually stopped
NAFTA:
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that aimed to eliminate tariffs. It had both positive and negative consequences for Mexico:
Positives:
- Increased labor (maquiladoras)
- Larger export market
Negatives:
- Mexico failed to invest in proper infrastructure needed for competition
- Agricultural trade imbalance
Demise of the PRI:
The PRI’s dominance began to erode in the 1990s, leading to a gradual shift towards a multi-party system. This was driven by several factors, including:
- Electoral reforms that allowed for greater representation of opposition parties
- The emergence of a strong civil society
- Economic crises that weakened the PRI’s grip on power
Upper and Lower House Elections:
Lower House: Later increased to 200 out of 500 total seats, Allowed more members of the PAN, PRD, and other minority parties to take seats, eventually leading to a divided government
Upper House: Second-past-the-post System was instituted, which effectively allows the PRI to control two of the three senate seats per state and another party to potentially hold the third seat- In this system, candidates run in pairs. Within these pairs, there is a first-listed candidate and a second-listed candidate. The pair that wins the most votes takes the first two senate seats. The first-listed candidate from the pair that wins the second-most votes takes the third seat
These two electoral reforms gradually led to non-PRI candidates winning seats in both the lower and upper houses of the legislature
So the PRI lost a majority in the legislature for the first time in 1997
Emergence of multi party
Oil and debt crisis; Moved towards less government spending,Less to handout
Zapatistas- Anger over NAFTA
dominant party ; Voter Fraud, Ballot Box Stuffing, and other Illegalities: The way how the senate system works: they run in pairs, and the pair gets the most votes will take the first two senate s eats, then follow by the first candidate in the second pair. By the system, PRI was guaranteed a minimum of two seats.PRI won elections by large, sometimes unbelievable, margins. Mexico had strong patron-client relations known as camarillas (large networks of PRI supporters who gained benefits from PRI rule, including jobs with the federal government and promotions based on loyalty and getting out the vote)- Used patron-client networks to link the party to the poor and rural population, clientelism. Direct economic, or personal benefits, were distributed through a cacique (local party boss) who in return expected political support for himself and for the PRI in regional and national political activities. Voting for the PRI was considered patriotic .The Mexican PRI President was able to dominate the PRI-staffed bureaucracy -The Mexican President benefitted from a compliant PRI-dominated legislature each term
Strong Tradition of Corporatism ;Stemmed from patron-client politics and corruption. Peasants and workers were organized into PRI-dominated organizations that officially served as unions but were really mechanisms to pressure citizens into voting for the PRI – Not only were votes bought through these organizations, but services such as healthcare and jobs were also provided, creating a brand of party loyalty that was unrivaled. Press was PRI-dominated – News organizations were officially independent, but in practice they remained uncritical of PRI leaders