Sources+of+Sovereignty,+Legitimacy,+and+Power

 Sovereignty, Legitimacy, and Power Above: President Vincente Fox. Don't be fooled by the smile.

__**Legitimacy:**__ Legitimacy: A status conferred by the people on the government's officials, acts, and institution through their belief that the government's actions are an appropriate use of power by a legally constituted governmental authority following correct decisions on making policies. A country's government is legitimate when it has the consent of the people, and is recognized as having been chosen by the people fairly.

[|The Mexican Constitution] Mexico's constitution was created in 1917, a result of the revolution. The constitution differs from the United States by creating a President, but no Vice-President. Unlike the U.S. constitution, it establishes a cabinet to advise the president, but places requirements on the secretaries: must be 30 years old and born in Mexico. The president can nominate Supreme Court Justices, attorney general, etc. without congressional authorization.


 * Most Mexican citizens believe their government is legitimate
 * The primary source of legitimacy is **The Revolution of 1910-1917,** which resulted in the **Constitution of 1917**
 * The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)** legitimized the revolution, and was the sole legitimate political party until many years later
 * Religion also played an important role. The majority of Mexicans are Catholic, and the Catholic Church supported the revolution and led many populists movements. The support of the church led the people to believe in the legitimacy of the revolution, constitution, and government.



Questioning legitimacy: 2006 Presidential Election- -Felipe Calder ón's controversial win over Andrés Manuel Ló pez Obrador-Many people weren't satisfied with only a partial recount. The results of the election were so close that the margin of error could have determined who won. "Humpty Dumpty Nation"-Analyst Denise Dresser thinks that the country has problems that stem from the fact that it is so divided. [] Denise Dresser **: ** “The US has a problem acknowledging that Mexico is many Mexicos. You have to visit the many Mexicos: Chiapas, Oaxaca, Monterrey with its vibrant, North Americanized entrepreneurial Mexico. The Sierra de Chihuahua. And, the US needs to start thinking of Mexico as a North American country and a partner. If it did this, it would have to take Mexico seriously. The way the European Union did with Spain an d Portugal. What I'm alluding to won't happen in my lifetime. But if the US wants to solve the problems between the countries it has to help Mexico grow.” [] Drug Trafficking- President Felipe Calderon is trying to be the first president to tackle the drug traffickers in Mexico. His plan was to use troops and federal polic to take them down. He even called out the United States for contributing to the problem with their demand for the drugs. "To many Mexicans, the rising count of gruesome drug-related murders is evidence that the government's strategy is not working." Calderon doesn't agree because according to him, "The Mexican government has identified 233 "zones of impunity'' across the country, where crime is largely uncontrolled, a figure that is down from 2,204 zones a year ago." There is talk of legalization to help the problem. There is no ignoring it causes a safety threat to theMexican people, which in turn will cause a distrust and dissatisfaction with the government. [] Calderon had the support of the Mexican people, but became discouraged when violence was increasing instead of decreasing. So many people are involved in the drug trafficking that they don't know who to trust to fight the traffickers anymore. They could be traffickers themselves. [] Political Culture Trends


 * __1__** **__) Patron-Clientelism__**

Above: The face of Mexican corruption. -**Corruption** is a by -product of patron-clientelism; democratization and industrialization have lately been putting pressure on the clientelism system -defeat of PRI for president in 2000 is an indication that it is ending
 * Clientelism**, or patron-client relations, is a form of politics in which ties between leaders and followers are personal. It is a way of keeping power in the hands of government elite. 
 * Camarillas**- patron-client networks, extend from the political elites to vote-mobilizing organizations throughout the country

The patron-client system has deep roots in Mexico. It first took hold in the 1800s when **cuadillos**, or warlords, were in power through an authoritarian regime. Camarillas were formed; they kept the leaders’ power safe by giving benefits and favors to those underneath the leader. Since 1929, the system has continued through the **PRI** party; the party sometimes changed results to win elections, and mobilized and did favors for their faithful voters. The 2000 election was the first time that a member of the **PRI** party did not win the presidential election, and it is therefore seen as a turning point in Mexican history towards greater democracy. Due to democratization and industrialization, the patron-client system is beginning to break down.

[|Current Events 1] [|Current Events:Patron-Client Relations] The article explains many factors that affect the Mexican Government. It talks about the patron-client relationship, how it was established, and what it entails. It explains that the 2000 election represented a huge change for Mexican politics, and that the system is coming to an end.


 * __ Religion __**

- Mexico was conquered by Hernan Cortes in 1519. He brought with him members of the Roman Catholic clergy: Mexico was conquered in the name of the cross, as well as in the name of the crown. - During the mid-1800s, the Mexican government passed several pieces of legislation to limit the power of the church. One measure (passed in 1833) secularized education. - In 1855, the Juarez Law (named after President Benito Juarez) restricted many ecclesiastical privileges. In 1857, a constitution was created to abolish remaining privileges. President Juarez used his authority to confiscate church property, suppress religious orders, and declare locations for church activities. There was a civil war fought between 1857 and 1860 as a result of the legislation. - Following the Mexican Revolution, the government continued to limit the Church's power. Mexican liberals were anticlerical and feared that the Church's large amount of land would create a state within Mexico. - The Constitution of 1917 affected all religious orders. The constitution forbade churches from interfering with primary and secondary education, as well as restricting religious activities to churches. - Specifically, Article 130 of the constitution states that the Catholic Church lacks legal status. Issues involving churches, such as clergy numbers or the operation of church buildings, required the consent of local government officials. Also, churches should have no influence on political elections. - From 1926 to 1929, Mexico suffered from the Cristero Rebellion. The rebellion occured as a result of the enforced restrictions on the Church. - Following the rebellion and the election of Camacho, the government exchanged looser restrictions on the Catholic Church for cooperation in achieving social peace. - In 1991, the Salinas administration proposed to lift all restriction on the Catholic Church in order to form a more realistic church-state relationship. However, the PRI Party maintained strained relationships concerning the Cristero Rebellion.
 * Relative Timeline of Church and State Relations**

Currently: Since the 1980s, there has been a shift away from Catholocism and toward Evangelicalism. As a result of this, the Catholic Church has begun to speak out on issues previously ignored by them. They have gone as far as to break constitutional bans that separate church from state. While the Church has increased its interest in political affairs, it claims that it will not involve itself with political activities. Priests have also said that they should be above serving as political leaders.

Church-State Article: [] The article analyzes the influence of religion on Mexican culture, examining the issue from a modern standpoint. Most Mexicans see their government as legitimiate and 89% of the Mexican population identifies themselves as Christian. The church and state relationship is complex and intertwined because of the importance of religion to the Mexican people. Since missionaries arrived in the 16th century, deep historical traditions concerning religion (notably Roman Catholocism) have been established, traditions that have survived the centuries and still exist today.

Historical and Political Traditions
Historically, Mexico has operated under an **authoritarian** government.
 * I. The Past **

A. The Spanish Colony i. Spain controlled Mexico as a colony from 1519 to 1821. Spanish rule enforced a strong social hierarchy based on ethnicity, with Spain-born Spaniards at the top and Mexican Indians at the bottom. Watch  [] for more information about Spain's authoritarian government in Mexico . Also, the article "Mexico History" discusses the political transition of native Mexicans from traditional Indian government to Spanish government. ii. The Mexican Revolution (1810-1821) ended Spanish rule in Mexico, but the years that immediately followed saw a return to authoritarian rule. (See “La Revolución de 1810”.)

B. Military-political dictatorships The quick withdrawal of a stable government when Mexico gained independence left the country vulnerable to military control. From 1810 to 1988, Mexican politics has been subject to the whims of **power plays and divisions within the elite**, whether the elite were in power or attempting to gain power through revolution. Not until recently has a government somewhat representative of the Mexican people controlled the country. i. The //Porfiriato// 1. Porfirio Diaz ruled as President from 1876 to 1880 and from 1888 to 1911. He used violence, political machines and vote manipulation to maintain power, but also brought industrial advances to the young country, improving its economy. At the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, Diaz’s conservative regime collapsed due to corruption and oppression. (See “La Revolución de 1910”.) Most historians consider Diaz a dictator. 2. The Article "The Rule of Porfirio Diaz, 1909" offers a well-rounded perspective on Diaz's reign. ([].) 3. Watch [] for more information about Diaz. ii. Twentieth Century 1. From La Revolución de 1910 to 1988, Mexico resided under numerous leaders, all powered by the dominating Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), formed by a coalition of revolutionaries after La Revolución de 1910. The party’s liberal, quasi-socialist tendencies brought it to power after the revolution, and it soon became an “electoral authoritarian” government, using virtually any means necessary (short of dissolving the Constitution) to stay in power. (See “The Fall of the PRI” below.) For more information on the PRI, read h[|ttp://countrystudies.us/mexico/84.htm]. For one opinion about the effects of the PRI on Mexican politics, read []. Above: Nineteenth century dictator Porfirio Diaz. Despite rumors spread by his opponents, his culinary skills were unparalleled for most of the twentieth century.

However, these periods of authoritarian rule have been interrupted by two **populist revolutions** as well as some shorter-lived rebellions. These revolutions are indicative of Mexico's major **instability and legitimacy issues**.

A. La Revolución de 1810 Led by Miguel Hidalgo y Costillo, Mexican guerillas were the unlikely victors of the War of Independence, freeing Mexico from Spanish rule. However, many Mexicans did not support the overturn of Spanish rule for fear that the Spanish-imposed caste system would collapse and cause severe class conflict.

B. La Revolución de 1910 While Diaz’s rule had brought prosperity to the urban proletariat, his reforms hurt poor, rural-dwelling Mexicans. When Francisco Madero declared he would run in the 1910 presidential election, Diaz jailed Madero and declared himself the winner. Madero mobilized a peasant army and eventually defeated the federal army. Madero and Diaz signed the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, in which Diaz abdicated and Madero would replace him. Madero still called for a new election and won overwhelmingly. Watch [] for more information.

C. The Fall of the PRI The 1988 presidential election marked the first serious threat to the power of the PRI, as a non-PRI candidate reportedly received 31.1% of the votes (though rumors circulate that the PRI-run government altered results). Watch [] for more information about legitimacy issues with the PRI.

D. The Rebellion of Chiapa The Indians of the southern state Chiapas felt that their constitutional land rights were being violated. This unrest led to the formation of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, which took up armed rebellion against the national government in 1994. The national government essentially imposed serious sanctions on Chiapas, and a peace agreement was reached in 1994. The Los Angeles Times featured an opinion piece on the Chiapas rebellion, accusing the national government of human rights violation. ([].)



Above: It smells really bad in Mexico. But who //is// that stunning young Mexican woman?

Today, Mexico operates as a //federal presidential representative democratic republic.// The government is divided into an executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch, as stipulated in the Political Constitution of the Mexican States.
 * II. Today**

A. The Executive Branch a. The President is the head of the executive branch. b. The President is advised by a cabinet of secretaries that is unrelated to the legislature.

B. The Legislative Branch a. Consists of two houses: i. The Chamber of Deputies (500 members) 1. 300 members elected by plurality from single-member districts 2. 200 members do not represent districts; these seats are allocated proportionally to parties based on parties’ shares of national vote ii. Senate (128 members) 1. Two for each of the 31 states and two for the Federal District; elected by relative majority; 2. One for each of the 31 states and one for the Federal District; awarded to the party who had won the second highest number of votes within the state or Federal District 3. 32 national senators-at-large, divided among the parties in proportion to their share of the national vote.

C. The Judicial Branch a. Several levels of court comprise the judicial branch, with the Supreme Court Justice of the Nation being the highest court.

D. The Parties a. Mexican politics are dominated by three parties. i. National Action Party (PAN) 1. Center-right, Christian values 2. Party of current president Vincente Fox ii. Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) 1. Left-wing, with communist roots 2. Powerful only in southern and central Mexico iii. Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) 1. Centrist, with communist roots 2. Dominated Mexican politics for most of 20th century