General Overview Of Mexico: Analytical Essay

Mexico is located in Northern America and has borders with the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, Mexico has borders with Belize, North Pacific Ocean, and Guatemala. It has 4,389 km of land borders with 3 countries. Belize has 276 km, Guatemala has 958 km, and the United States has 3155 km land borders with Mexico. In addition, Mexico has a 9,330 km coastline. However, the climate alters from tropical to desert. On the other hand, Mexico has many natural resources to depend on for strengthen its economy such as petroleum, silver, gold, zinc, natural gas, copper, and antimony.

Ethnic Groups Percentage

• Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%
• Predominantly Amerindian 21%
• Amerindian 7%
• Other (mostly European) 10%

The daily life language in Mexico is Spanish, and some other indigenous languages. Indigenous languages include different Mayan and Nahuatl languages. On the other hand, the religion of the majority of people is Roman Catholic which indicates 82.7%, and some other minorities such as, Jehovah and Evangelical. Nevertheless, most of the population is located at the middle of Mexico which you can find between the cities of Jalisco and Veracruz. In addition, quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City.

Language

Although 68 indigenous languages may seem like a large number, more than 130 indigenous languages have actually disappeared along with their unique customs and culture. The government has therefore placed a heavy emphasis on preserving and promoting the native languages. The Language Rights Law was established in 2002 to protect Mexican native languages and promote bilingual and intercultural education.

The post-revolution constitution of 1917 also had a strong focus on preserving Mexico’s languages and the multicultural identity of the country. The constitution stated that each indigenous group had the right to protect their own Mexican language and enrich it. There are more than 6 million indigenous language speakers in Mexico today. While 10-14% of the population identify with an indigenous group, only 6% speak an indigenous Mexican language.

Apart from Spanish, some of Mexico’s most widely spoken languages are Nahuatl, which has nearly 1.4 million speakers, Yucatec Maya, spoken by more than three-quarters of a million people, and Mixtec, whose speakers are about half a million. Interestingly, while Spanish is Mexico’s dominant language, it is not defined in Mexican legislation as the official language. This allows the rest of Mexico’s languages to be given more rights, including the right to use indigenous languages in governmental communication and official documents.

Government

The conventional long form for the name of Mexico is “United Mexican States”. It’s named after the Mexica, it’s the largest and most powerful branch of Aztecs. It is federal presidential republic system type of government. The capital is Mexico city, and the administrative divisions are 32 states. In September 16, 1810 declared independence from Spain, and in September 27, 1821 recognized by Spain.

Political Organization

Mexico’s Political organization is a federal state made up of thirty two states. Thirty one states and the Federal District (Mexico City), later the Federal Branches. The presidential system is the system of the government. Both powers, the Federation’s and the thirty two states are based on the principle of the division of powers between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches.

The Constitution provides that the municipality must be adopted by all federation states as the basis for territorial, political, and administrative division. Elected by public and direct vote, a municipal town hall administers each of the 2,441 municipalities in which the country is divided. Each municipal town hall consists of a municipal president, and a number varying officers and trustees.

Legislative branch:

National Congress consists of Senate and Chamber of Deputies. First, the Senate has 128 seats, and 96 members are directly elected by simple majority in multi-seat constituencies. Furthermore, 32 members are directly elected by proportional representation vote in a simple nationwide constituency. Members are serving 3 years term.

Judicial branch:

The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest court in Mexico. It consists of the Chief Justice and 11 judges. It organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels. However, the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary organized in the Superior Court with seven judges, including the President of the Court, and five regional courts, each with three judges.

Justices of the Supreme Court nominated by the President of the Republic, and approved by a vote of two-third of the members present in the Senate. Judges serving 15 years. On the other side, judges of the Supreme Court nominated by the Supreme Court, and elected by a vote of two – thirds of the members present in Senate. Also, president of the Supreme Court elected from among its members for a four years term. Superior and regional judges serve staggered terms of nine years.

Executive Branch

The Supreme Federal Executive Branch rests upon one single member. It is vested upon the President of the United Mexican States. Besides leading the government of the Republic, the President is also Chief of State and the Army. He is elected every six years through direct election, universal suffrage, and the principle of relative or simple majority. The Political Constitution strictly forbids re-election in any modality.

The branch of the Supreme Federal Executive is based on one member. It is assigned to the United Mexican States President. In addition to leading the republic’s government, the president is also head of state and army. The president is elected by direct election, universal suffrage, and the principle of relative or simple majority. The president is elected every six years. It is strictly forbidden by the Political Constitution re-election of the President for the second time.

Political Parties In Mexico

The major political parties in Mexico represent a wide range of political and social perspectives. There are currently nine political parties in Congress. Two of them have a predominant role in Mexican politics: the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the National Action Party (PAN). The Democratic Revolutionary Party (Democratic Revolutionary Party, PRD) The National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) and the Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional also have a notable presence in Congress.

Daily life and customs of society

Daily life in Mexico varies dramatically depending on socioeconomic level, gender, ethnicity and racial perceptions, regional characteristics, differences between rural and urban, and other social and cultural factors. A Mayan peasant in the Yucatán forests leads an entirely different existence from that of a successful lawyer in Toluca or a Monterrey worker in the lower middle class. Further differences are exacerbated by the large number of U.S. Mexican expatriates who eventually return for either short-term or permanent visits, and in turn import many ‘American’ lifestyles. Such differences give Mexico much of its character and color, but they present stubborn challenges to the country as well. But despite the vast array of lifestyles.

Constitution

Mexico achieved independence in 1821 and since then has had several constitutions. After the present one, the most durable constitution was that of 1857 that lasted until 1917. The present constitution was adopted in 1917 after the Mexican Revolution of 1913-1916 and a social constitutional convention. It can be argued that the notion of ‘constitutionalism’ is one of the principles that emerged from the revolutionary era represented by the Constitution of 1917, which is a legitimacy and support for the fundamental principles of the constitution that are reflected in popular culture. A notable illustration of this us that in many Mexican cities (including the national capital), squares, streets and other characteristics are named after the constitution itself or notable constitutional articles.

Article 3 on education, Article 27 on land and water ownership, Article 123 on labor rights and Article 130 on church restrictions are particularly highlighted in this way.

A key constitutional principle – laid down in Article 83 – is that leaders should rule only for a six-year term. This was a reaction to the seven consecutive terms rule of Portifirio Díaz for a total of 27 years, reflecting the slogan of the 1911 revolution ‘Effective Suffrage and No-Reelection.’

On the one hand, this rule can be seen as beneficial in that it prevents the kind of long-term, one-person rule we’ve seen in many countries in Africa and Asia. On the other hand, if a leader never faces re-election, there is little personal incentive to rule in a way that attracts popular support (although there is, of course, an incentive to use his power to the extent that his successor is likely to come from the same political party).

Another complication of the ‘six-year rule’ is that constitutionally only the executive (i.e., the president) and not the legislature (i.e., the Chamber of Deputies) were intended to apply. In 1934, though qualified by the word ‘consecutive,’ the rule was also applied to Deputies.

This change has, above all, weakened the legislature in relation to the executive, as it means that Deputies can build up limited experience and authority and give the executive power over the congressional seats nominees.

Moreover, this rule has the perverse effect of making Deputies lack accountability, because they will not face re-election at the end of their term and possibly ever, and encouraging them to seek as much personal advantage as possible, as they will probably have only one chance to milk the system. Making a constitutional change requires both federal legislature houses to be approved and at least 17 of the 32 state legislatures to be approved. Indeed, Mexico’s constitution is the world’s most amended – more than 500 changes in just over 100 years.

Social Movements

From 2000 to 2015, during the so-called ‘post-transitional’ period in Mexico, after the National Action Party (pan) defeated the former hegemonic Institutional Revolutionary Party (pri) that had ruled the country for over 70 years, strong social movements emerged, showing skill and inventiveness in their strategies to mobilize support in their struggle for social causes. Despite the wave of popular unrest and dissent, these movements locked in a fight with the de facto powers have failed to move a state apparatus resistant to any deepening democratization of the country towards the recognition and exercise of the political, social, economic, cultural and sexual rights of citizens. That has triggered social protests on more than one occasion.

Some social movements in Mexico (such as the Zapatista movement or the MPJD) have tried to change or enhance not only the laws and institutions of the country, but also the moral rules on which human relations are based. These mobilizations maintain that fighting for new values is worthwhile and that movements can produce social and cultural shifts, reflected in new social and political institutions. Some of these movements have made little progress, but so far they have not achieved this goal. Together with the transformations needed to deepen and improve the nascent democracy of Mexico and the quality of life of its population, the Mexican state and its institutions have succeeded in preventing structural change.

Why is social mobilization taking place in Mexico?

During this period, Mexico’s social mobilizations and protests are attributable to various causes: recognition of the cultural identity of the indigenous people of the country and their rights and autonomy; political-electoral problems; demonstrations against the system; protests against violence or otherwise demanding respect for the rights of sexual diversity; demands of dissatisfied students.

Economic Developments

Mexico was ruled by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) for 70 years until the center-right National Action Party defeated Mexico in 2000. Although the PRI regained the presidency under former President Enrique Peña Nieto in 2012, it was greatly weakened by the populist Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s landslide victory in July 2018, whose MORENA party also won a substantial majority in Congress. The promise made by López Obrador to fight corruption. His support for a renewed North American Free Trade Agreement post-election signaled a more pragmatic approach to governance and a welcoming attitude towards much-needed foreign investment, but López Obrador must prevail over Mexico’s powerful drug cartels to reverse rising homicide rates.

The main challenge is to get rid of the cartels of drugs. President Peña Nieto increased spending on security from 1.5% to 5% of GDP, the level that worked for Colombia.

Mexico is the world’s twelfth largest exporter. The U.S. received 79 percent of exports from Mexico in 2017. Since the signing of NAFTA in 1994, trade with the United States and Canada has tripled. Over 90% of Mexico’s trade is covered by twelve free trade agreements. Mexico has more than any other nation with 46 countries. These trade agreements are a major reason for the success of Mexico’s success.

NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico entered into force on January 1, 1994 to create a North American trilateral trading bloc. The agreement was replaced by the original U.S. and Canada Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA aims to liberalize trade restrictions between the three countries. Since its entry into force, NAFTA has removed most of its three member countries’ tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade and investment. NAFTA aims to promote the conditions of free competition in order to increase market access and opportunities for investment in the area of free trade.

Peña Nieto replaced President Felipe Calderón-Hinojosa. He had initiated a controversial crackdown on organized crime and corrupt local police. It created an all-out war. That increased violence including retaliation against civilians by the cartels. Many Mexicans blamed Calderon for upsetting the cartels and increasing violence.

Mexico produces and exports the same quantity of goods combined with the rest of Latin America. Foreign trade is larger than any other large country in Mexico’s economy. Export No. 1 from Mexico is products manufactured. Silver, fruit, vegetables, coffee, and cotton are also exported.

At nearly 3 million barrels per day, Mexico is the eighth largest oil producer in the world. That’s less than Canada, Iran, or Iraq, but more than other major exporters like Kuwait, Brazil, or Nigeria.

Conclusion

At one level, the political experience of Mexico has been exceptional compared to the rest of Latin America, since the 1950s, most other nations in the region have suffered military dictatorships or military control over civilian governments, but since the 1930s Mexico has managed to keep the military out of politics.

On the other side, Mexico had no experience of competitive electoral politics for most of the 20th century, except for a very brief period in 1911, even though most other Latin American countries achieved electoral democracies in the 1980s.

Over the past decade and a half, Mexico has shown itself capable of changing its presidency’s political composition through genuinely competitive elections, but the country is still in a process of democratic consolidation with a great deal of work yet to be done to eliminate corruption and corruption and achieve full accountability and transparency.

At the moment, Mexican politics is a turbulent and personal affair, and grassroots demands are not easily answered by the political establishment. As one Mexican put it to me: ‘To be heard you have to be noisy.’