Comparative Politics

1
Comparative Politics

• Brazil and Mexico

• PoliSci Department
• SUNY _at_ Stony Brook
• POL 103 (Section 2)
• Spring 2005
• Instructor Udi Sommer

2
Mexico - Themes

• 1st Latin American country
• Proximity with the USA wars, territory,
  institutions
• Institutions presidential system, federalism,
  dominant executive
• State Party the PRI
• A detailed constitution more encompassing than
  its contemporaries
• Continuous civilian government no military
  regime
• Patronage and clientalism

3
Colonial era

• 16th Century arrival of Spaniards
• The Colonial Period 300 years
• Independence from Spain early 19th century

4
The Mexican American War

• 1846 1848
• Mexico looses large territories to the USA
• General Porfirio Díaz "Pobre México! Tan lejos
  de Dios, y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos."
  ("Poor Mexico! So far from God, and so close to
  the United States.").
• Later in 19th century French occupation

5
The Mexican Revolution

• Starting in 1910
• A new constitution in 1917
• A comprehensive and extremely liberal
  constitution
• e.g. social guarantees, collective labour rights

6
The Mexican Revolution

• Followed by a period of constant instability
• Only in the 1920s was the PNM (Partido
  Naciolalista Mexicano) able to unite the opposing
  factions
• PNM later became PRI (Partido Revolucionario
  Institucional Institutional Revolutionary
  Party)

7
The Mexican Revolution

• PRI was to hold political power for the next 70
  years.
• Also marks the beginning of a tradition of
  political patronage

8
Characteristics of Mexican politics

• Decisive role of the Mexican Revolution
• Spanish colonialism
• Heavy state involvement in economics
• Supremacy of the executive
• Occupation, and territorial loses to the USA
• Civilian supremacy over the army

9
Early 1940s

• By early 1940s 2 accomplishments
• Emphasis on nationalism as a force in Mexican
  politics
• Institutional structures are well-defined
  (federalism, dominant civilian president,
  loyalists of the president within the party,
  rotation of power in the party etc.)

10
The 1980s

• Financial crisis
• Organization of the system breaks down
• Mexico opens up economically
• Some of the reforms are not welcomed by members
  of PRI
• PRI breaks down

11
The 1980s and 1990s

• Leadership of PRI aims to integrate Mexico in the
  trends of globalization
• In 2000 PRI looses presidential elections
• Supreme court reviews electoral matters
• The elections are regulated
• Opposition parties increase their power and
  influence

12
2006 presidential elections

• Issues on the agenda for the coming presidential
  elections include
• Recognition of human and labour rights
• Support for public education
• Improvement of public health and social security

13
The Constitution

• Of the most radical and comprehensive in modern
  political history
• Imported liberal principles (e.g. federalism,
  Separation of Powers, Bill of Rights)
• Strong nationalist proclamation
• Separation of Church and State
• Some provisions are contradictory

14
The Constitution

• An activist state
• The most advanced labour code of its time
• Right to organize
• Protection of women and minors in the workplace
• Minimum wage

15
Mexican Institutions The Executive

• The presidency is a paramount institution
• six-years-monarchy
• Directly elected
• HS HG Commander in Chief
• No VP
• No re-election
• Extensive appointment authority

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Mexico The Executive

• Structure of cabinet is flexible
• Mysterious process of presidential succession
• The candidate reflects change or continuity in
  the system. To the discretion of the predecessor
• Skilful attentiveness to public opinion
• Beginning in 2000 the candidate is nominated by
  a nominating convention

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Mexico The Legislature

• Bicameral congress
• Upper chamber Senate Camara de Senadores
• Lower chamber Chamber of deputies Camara de
  Diputados
• Legislation (90 of which is initiated by the
  executive)

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Mexico Senate Camara de Senadores

• 128 members
• 4 members from each state
• 3 representatives from the states largest party
• 1 representative from the second largest party in
  the state

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Mexico Chamber of deputies Camara de
Diputados

• 500 members
• 200 representatives through PR
• 300 through SMD
• No re-election to consecutive terms

20
Mexico The Legislature

• Powers
• Pass laws
• Impose taxes
• Declare war
• Approve national budget
• Ratify diplomatic apointments

21
Mexico The Legislature
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Mexico The Legislature

• Committees of each of the chambers
• Joint committees
• Has become increasingly important since the mid
  1990s
• An important element in the process of
  democratisation in Mexico

23
Mexico The Judiciary

• A federal system and a state system
• Highest instance is Supreme Court of Justice
• Justices are appointed by the president and
  confirmed by the Senate
• Appointed for life but submit their resignation
  at the end of each sexenio

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Chiapas

• Zapatistas
• Sporadic clashes
• Military presence greatly reduced after Fox won
  the presidency in 2000

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Parties PRI

• Held every major political position since the
  Mexican revolution for 70 years
• Central role in modernization of Mexico
• A state-party
• Agenda changed with leaders and with time
• Key events in PRIs recent history

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Parties PAN

• PAN Partido Accion Nacional the National
  Action Party
• Currently the ruling party
• Founded in 1939
• Center-right party
• In opposition until 2000

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Parties PAN

• Agenda
• Center-right
• Free enterprise
• Reduction in taxes
• Reduction of government interference
• Reform of the welfare state

28
Brazil
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Brazil - Themes

• Role of the military in politics
• Socio-economic gaps unequal distribution of
  income
• Clientatlism and patronage
• Dictatorship
• Frequent constitutional changes

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República Federativa do Brasil

• The largest and most populous country in South
  America
• Spanning between the Andes in the west and the
  Atlantic Ocean to the east

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The Great Depression (1920s-1930s)

• Dependency on coffee production and foreign
  investment
• Devastating implications of the US stock market
  crash
• Government fell apart -gt the revolution of 1930

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The Revolution of 1930

• Powerful groups (politically and economically)
• Urban bourgeoisie
• North-eastern sugar barons
• Coffee oligarchs of the south
• Vargas manages to unite those groups behind him

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Getulio Vargas

• Starting with an army coup
• Support of popular sectors
• Demagogic appeals
• Extremely intricate political coalition
  ever-changing
• Corporatism
• Interests are incorporated through joint
  decision-making mechanisms.

34
Getulio Vargas

• A revolution from above lead by oligarchs
• the father of the poor
• Fascism
• Industrial growth and nationlism
• Suppressing the working class

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Estado Novo

• Vargas new dictatorship
• The Cohen Plan
• Established power within the exiting system, not
  a revolution
• Federal executive controls economy across the
  nation
• Five-year plans

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Second Vargas presidency

• Vargas wins elections again in the elections of
  1950
• Commits suicide due to high tension with the
  military and fear of a coup
• Important elements
• Populism
• Economic nationalism
• Constantly changing coalition

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Towards military rule

• Kubitschek pursues the same legacy of populism
  and economic nationalism
• Constructs Brasilia
• Gradual increase in the degree of dominance of
  the military
• e.g. under Goulart Brazil turns into a
  parliamentary system, due to pressure from the
  military

38
Military Rule

• 1964 1985
• Economic reforms
• Putting Brazil on the world stage as an economic
  power

39
From Military Rule to Democratization

• Move away from authoritarianship starts with
  president Geisel (1974 1979)
• Promotes massive investments
• Change in foreign policy

40
Redemocratization

• A new president, there to make this country a
  democracy
• Large-scale strikes
• Rising inflation
• People take to the streets and demand direct vote

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Redemocratization

• Only in 1989 the first popularly elected
  president
• A central goal is to deal with the economic gap
• This brings Lula da Silva to the presidency
• Problems of socio-economic contradictions around
  the big cities
• Drug trafficking

42
Brazil - Constitution

• 8 constitutions since 1822
• The current constitution
• citizen constitution
• Stronger role of state in economy
• A very liberal constitution
• Federal presidential republic
• Decentralized capitalism

43
Brazil The Executive

• Originally terms of 5 years reduced to 4 in
  1994
• Directly elected by the people
• Huge appointment powers
• Every president tried to form the post according
  to his preferences

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Brazil The Legislature

• Bicameral legislature
• Chamber of deputies (513 members, PR, 4 years)
• Senate (81 members, 8 years)
• Weak parties
• Low cohesion in Congress
• Peak of power in 1992 impeachment

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Brazil The Judiciary

• Federal
• State
• Municipal
• Only appointments to the superior courts are
  political
• System is inefficient
• Lower courts do not follow jurisprudence

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Comparison of Mexico and Brazil

• Similarities
• Extreme potential
• the country of the future
• Income inequality
• Industrialization
• Clientalism and patronage
• Institutions and procedures

47
Comparison of Mexico and Brazil

• Dissimilarities
• The effect of oil
• Relations between civilian government and
  military
• The role of the military in politics
• History prior to the republics