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Mexico: Prospects for Democracy Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive DSpace Repository Theses and Dissertations 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items 1996-12 Mexico: prospects for democracy Norton, Yvonne D. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/32026 Downloaded from NPS Archive: Calhoun NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS MEXICO: PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRACY by Yvonne D. Norton December 1996 Thesis Co-Advisors: Mary P. Callahan Scott D. Tollefson Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 19970516 083 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this coUection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the coUection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this coUection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 1996 Master's Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE MEXICO: PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRACY 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTIIOR Yvonne D. Norton 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION Monterey CA 93943-5000 REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION/A VAILABlLITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The purpose of this thesis is to analyze why Mexico has failed to democratize and offer recommendations for U.S. policy towards Mexico. The thesis examines the impact of three causal variables on the level of democracy in Mexico: civilian control of the military, the fairness ofMexico's political party system, and U.S. foreign policy towards Mexico. This thesis concludes that although Mexico has civilian control of the military, such control is necessary, but not sufficient for democracy; that because Mexico's political party system is unfair, Mexico does not have fully competitive political parties; and that there is some linkage between U.S. economic assistance and democratization in Mexico. The prospects for democracy in Mexico are cloudy. For the Institutional Revolutionary Party, there is much to lose should Mexico become more democratic. A recommendation for U.S. policy is to develop a special relationship with Mexico and prioritize U.S. interests in Mexico. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Mexico, democracy, civil-military relations, political party system, 15. NUMBER OF U.S. foreign policy, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action Party PAGES 136 (PAN), Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Labor Party (PT), and U.S.-Mexican 16. PRICE CODE relations. 17. SECURITY CLASSlFlCA- 18. SECURITY CLASSlFI- 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICA- 20. LIMITATION OF TION OF REPORT CATION OF THIS PAGE TION OF ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Fonn 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 298-102 1 ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. MEXICO: PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRACY Yvonne D.Norton Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., University of Arizona, 1982 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS (WESTERN HEMISPHERE) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 1996 Author: Yvonne D. Norton Approved by: Frank C. Petho, Acting Chainnan Department of National Security Affairs 111 IV ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis is to analyze why Mexico has failed to democratize and offer recommendations for U.S. policy towards Mexico. The thesis examines the impact of three causal variables on the level of democracy in Mexico: civilian control of the military, the fairness of Mexico's political party system and U.S. foreign policy towards Mexico. This thesis concludes that although civilian control of the military is necessary, but not sufficient, for democracy; that because Mexico's political party system is unfair, Mexico does not have competitive political parties; and that there is some linkage between U.S. economic assistance and democratization in Mexico. The prospects for democracy in Mexico are cloudy. For the PRI, there is much to lose should Mexico become more democratic. A recommendation for U.S. policy is to develop a special relationship with Mexico and prioritize U.S. interests in Mexico. v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 A. DEFINITIONS OF DEMOCRACY. ................................................................ 5 B. ME11IODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 6 C. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................................. 9 II. CIVILIAN CONTROL OF THE MILITARY AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN"MEXIC0 ................................................................................................................. 15 A. CHAPTEROVERVIEW.................................................................................. 15 1. Review of the Literature ........................................................................ 17 2. Theoretical Framework. ......................................................................... 19 3. Methodology ......................................................................................... 20 B. HISTORICAL AND CURRENT PERSPECTIVES ........................................... 20 1. Historical Perspectives - The Mexican Revolutionary Period: 1900-1940 .............................................................................................. 20 2. Current Perspectives- The Mexican Post-Revolutionary Period: 1946-1996.............................................................................................. 26 a. The Mission and Roles of the Mexican Military ....................... 28 C. CIVILIAN CONTROL OF 11IE MILITARY. ................................................... .30 1. Subjective Civilian Control ....................................................................... 3 0 2. Objective Civilian Control... ..................................................................... 31 a. Military Autonomy ....................................................................... 32 b. Military Professional Training ....................................................... 33 c. Military Depoliticization ............................................................... 35 D. IMPLICATIONS OF CIVILIAN CONTROL OF 11IE MILITARY. .................. .37 E. CONCLUSION: CIVILIAN CONTROL AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN MEXICO ....................................................................................................... 40 Vll III. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN MEXICO .......................................................................... .43 A. CHAPTER OVERVIEW ................................................................................... 43 1. Review of the Theoretical Literature ....................................................... 44 2. Methodology .......................................................................................... 48 B. POLITICAL PARTIES IN MEXICO ................................................................. 49 1. The Institutional Revolutionary Party ..................................................... .49 2. The National Action Party ....................................................................... 51 3. The Democratic Revolutionary Party ....................................................... 54 4. The Labor Party ...................................................................................... 57 C. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE PARTY SYSTEM IN MEXIC0 ............ 58 1. The Mexican Electoral System ................................................................ 58 2. Institutionalization of the Mexican Political Party System ........................ 62 a. Stability in the Rules Between Interparty Competition ................. 62 b. Stable Roots in Society ............................................................... 63 c. Legitimate Electoral Process and Parties ..................................... 64 d. Parties Subordinate to Ambitious Leaders ................................... 67 D. CONCLUSION: INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN MEXICO ...................................... 69 IV. U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN MEXIC0 ........................... 73 A. CHAPTER OVERVIEW ..................................................................................... 73 1. Review ofthe Literature .......................................................................... 73 2. Theoretical Framework. ........................................................................... 74 3.
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