MEXICO+pd.+3+Political+and+Economic+Change

__Critical Junctures__ Pre-Colonial Mexico
 * Aztec Empire-Located: Central Mexico
 * Mayas- Located: Yucatan Peninsula, Southeastern Mexico into Guatemala and Belize
 * Complex Societies-Highly Developed w/o industialization
 * Head of the Aztec Empire-Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), population 250,000
 * Massive, Powerful City for timeperiod
 * City Disrupted by European Colonization
 * Four Europeans Cities, population 100,000 (significantly smaller)
 * Brought weapons and illness

Colonial Mexico (1519-1821) []
 * **Hernan Cortes**
 * Came from Spain, Defeated the Aztecs
 * Technochtitlan-Now known as Mexico City
 * **Viceroy**
 * Representative for the King of Spain
 * Did not wish to experimentation with democracy
 * Brought Catholicism to Mexico from Spain
 * Emergance of the Mestizos (Mix of Spanish and Indigenous People)
 * Currently 60% of Population

Mexican Independence (1810-1821)
 * **Father Michael Hidalgo**(Catholic Priest)
 * Leader for Spains independence
 * Gained Independence in1821
 * Made 1824 Constitution
 * Influenced by US Federal Republic System
 * Catholic as State Religion

Mexican American War (1830-1855)
 * Instability and legitimacy problems
 * Military Rise in Santa Anna
 * Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
 * Mexico gained new territory
 * **Benito Juarez-**Military General
 * Fought for less church control of government, end to theocracy
 * Made 1857 Constitution
 * Bill of Rights
 * Limitations on Church and State
 * Somewhat Democratic Government

(1876-1911)
 * **Porfirio Diaz-** led Military Coup in 1876
 * Ruled as Dictator of Mexico for 34 years
 * Beginning of Cientificos (Economic/Scientific advisors)
 * Diaz influenced Stability through Authoritarianism, Foregin Investment and Economic Growth, Growing wealth gap between rich and poor
 * Reign weakened with the Coup, Sparks the Revolution of 1910

Mexican Revolution
 * **Francisco Madero-** elected in 1911, but coup in 1913
 * United States began involvement in 1913, Mexico against U.S involvement
 * Peasant Revolt-uprise of peasants for the land claims in Mexico
 * **Emillano Zapata** (south)- Morelos Peasant Army, Plan de Ayala
 * **Pancho Villa** (north)- Farmers and Ranch hands, Military-like action with banditry, looting, and warlordism
 * Revolution marked with the competition of these two leaders, Many died including Zapata and Villa

1917 Constitution
 * Formal set of political institutions
 * Progressive social and economic rights
 * Agrarian reform (government-backed redistribution of agricultural land)
 * Social Security
 * Right to Organize Unions
 * Minimum wage
 * 8 hour work day
 * Profit sharing for workers
 * Universal secular education
 * Adult male suffrage
 * Effort to limit foreign investors
 * Limited power of Catholic Church
 * Marked end of revolution

Anti-clerical Movement
 * Laws against priest voting
 * Restrictions on churches and church affiliated schools
 * Suspension of religious services
 * PRIEST'S REBEL
 * Cristero Rebellion 1926-1929
 * Thousands killed, including priest

PRI Establishment in 1929
 * Institutional Revolutionary Party, brought most stability to Mexico
 * **Plutarco Elias Calles -** founder of party, 1924-1928- named successor
 * Caudillos - political head, authoritarian rule
 * Under one political party
 * Intented for stability
 * Sexenio - 6 year term limit
 * Leaders given major positions

PRI cont.
 * 1934- **Lazaro Cardenas** leader of PRI (picked by Calles)
 * Asserts own supremacy (socialist)
 * 49 million acres of land distributed
 * Ejidos-land
 * Ejidatarios- workers
 * Base support of government
 * Union Workers
 * Higher wages
 * Better working conditions
 * Government control of Petroleum Industry-PEMEX
 * Investments in Public Works- roads, public service

1934-1940
 * Mexican population incorporated into political system
 * Organization of peasants and workers
 * Middle-class groups
 * Military
 * Poor addressed in councils of government
 * Encouraged investment in industrialization, credit to agriculture and created infrastructure
 * Cardenas committed to welfare for the poor, known as the "Roosevelt" of Mexico
 * Employs high tarriffs
 * Government ownership of key industries
 * Government subsides to domestic industries
 * State Corporatism (governments attempt to solidify control over public)
 * President Miguel Aleman
 * Rejects Cardenas ideals of socialism
 * Establishes economic liberalization
 * Foreign investment and Entrepreneurship
 * Next President back to Cardenas ideals
 * Pendulum Theory- back and forth change of policies between presidents (until 1970s)
 * Pendulum between Modernization and Dependency Theory
 * 1980s Neoliberalism

ECONOMIC CHANGE

For most of its history, Mexico’s economy was based on its agriculture with some other things such as mining. Under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, Mexico was greatly influenced by the industrialization of the United States. This was one if not the main major shift in Mexico’s economic policies. During the late 20th century its main economic profit came from its oil revenues. However this dependence on one single product is a habit that Mexico is trying to break. A building with only one column is easily destroyed if the column fails. This is just what began to happen in the 1980s when oil prices began to drop. The Mexican economy is primarily a service economy to the extent that 66 percent of GDP and over 50 percent of employment in 1999 was accounted for by the services sector. Much of the decline in agricultural employment over the past 60 years has been picked up by the services sector. Hospitality, personal, and professional services account for most of the services that are performed within the economy. The manufacturing sector is the next most important sector with 20.8 percent of GDP and approximately 17 percent of the labor force in 1999. The notable activity in this sector has to do with the success of the //maquiladora// plants in Mexico. Maquiladora plants are plants that exist along the Mexican-American border that receive inputs from American plants and produce items that can be exported or sold within Mexico. It has been estimated that these plants generated 49 percent of Mexico's manufacturing output in 1999. The third-most important sector in Mexico is agriculture, which accounted for 5 percent of GDP in 1999 yet employed 23 percent of the labor force. As discussed previously, the industrialization of the Mexican economy has resulted in a decrease in the importance of this sector since 1940. However, the sector continues to provide employment for a significant portion of the Mexican labor force. Mining makes up a small portion of the economic output of the country, accounting for only 1.2 percent of GDP and employing approximately 0.3 percent of the labor force in 1999. The great significance of this sector stems from the government's reliance on revenues from the country's oil company for a substantial portion of its revenue. []

Anti-clericism photo credit: []