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Comparing politics of the United States of America and the United Mexican States
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The United States of America and the United Mexican States (commonly known as Mexico) have many things in common, including their political foundations. These similarities include, but are not limited to, similar constitutional foundations, institutions, and domestic policy. Constitutional Foundations The Original Articles Originally, the United States Constitution had only seven articles. These articles detailed the responsibilities of each branch of government, responsibilities of the states, how the constitution could be amended, how to deal with national debt, and the ratification of the constitution. The Constitution of Mexico was written in 1917, because of this it has very few amendments to date. This document shares similar articles and foundations with the Constitution of the United States. Similar Articles Each constitution highlights the importance of freedom of religion, speech, the press, association/assembly, the right to petition, rights in criminal cases, suffrage for women, and the abolition/outlawing of slavery. In the Mexican Constitution, the section in Chapter I titled "Individual Guarantees" lists many of the rights in the amendments to the U.S. Constitution. In addition, both constitutions place limits on the length of the presidential term. The Mexican Constitution prohibits a president from running for a second term while the U.S. Constitution prohibits a third term. The Mexican Constitution also prohibits consecutive terms in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Similar Foundations Both constitutions were founded on the principle of checks and balances through the division of power. The U.S. Constitution expresses this idea in Articles I, II, III, and V. One example is in Article I, section 1, "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." The Mexican Constitution expresses this ideal as well, "The supreme power of the Federation is divided, for its exercise, into legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Two or more of these powers shall never be united in one single person or corporation, nor shall the legislative power be vested in one individual..." Both constitutions detail certain "unalienable rights" that belong to the people. These rights are found in the U.S. Constitution in the Bill of Rights, Amendments XIII, XV, XIX, XXIV, and XXVI.1 They are found in the Mexican Constitution in Title I, chapters I and IV. Founding Values Both constitutions indicate by the order of their articles and amendments what each nation valued most to begin with. The Constitution of the United States of America begins with the structure of the government. The Constitution of the United Mexican States begins with the rights of its citizens. This may be indicative of the desires of each nation in writing their respective constitutions. It also reflects the ideals of the era each constitution was written in. The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787, while Mexico's Constitution was written in 1917 - a time more focused on the rights of individuals. Institutions As if to sustain the similarities between the United Mexican States and the United States of America, the systems of government of both- right down to the institutions - are very similar. Both governments consist of three branches, the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. In both governments, the legislature is bicameral (the United States has the Senate and House of Representatives while Mexico has the Senado - Senate - and Cámara de Diputados - Chamber of Deputies). Legislative The Legislatures in both governments levy taxes and declare war (among other powers). While terms in the U.S. legislature are unlimited, this is not the case in Mexico, “…the constitution established a bicameral legislature roughly paralleling the one in the United States. Members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected for three-year terms. Senate terms last six years with half its members elected every three years" This is contrasted to the United States where 1/3 of the Senators are elected every two years. Representatives for the House of Representatives are elected every two years. "…Members of each house can serve only a single term at a time. Therefore, it is impossible for them to develop the expertise or the seniority that make U.S. congressional committee chairs, for instance, so important.” This means that each term, a new member has to establish new connections and forge new alliances, creating a government that is perpetually inexperienced. Executive In both nations, the President is the head of the Executive branch. He or she is in charge of executing laws, appointing officials, and making treaties as well as other tasks. The President is designed to act as the official “Chief” of the country, but the powers delegated to the holder of this position are checked by the other two branches to prevent an autocracy. Judicial The Judicial branch is the third branch of government in both the United States and Mexico. The branch in both nations has a system of federal courts, district courts, court of appeals, and a supreme court. Judicial power extends to all cases under the constitution, laws, and treaties. A provision in the Mexican Constitution particularly emphasizes the importance of individual rights, “The federal courts shall decide all controversies that arise:…Out of law or acts of the authorities that violate individual guarantees.” One major difference within the Judicial branch is the length of terms for Supreme Court justices. In the United States, justices serve for life, but justices in Mexico may only serve one fifteen year term and often choose to resign at the end of the outgoing president's term. Domestic Policy Although the issues the United States and Mexico deal with seem so different, the same concerns occupy both sides of the border. These concerns include the issues of immigration, illegal drugs, and the economy and trade. Immigration Immigration is widely accepted as a prevalent issue in the United States. Mexican workers traverse the border(legally or illegally) for well-paying jobs, sending the money they earn back home. In fact, money sent home by Mexicans working in the United States is the third largest source of income in the nation. But Mexico has an immigration problem to deal with too. Thousands of illegal immigrants from Central America cross the border to find work in Mexico. They are hired for the jobs many Mexicans leave to travel across the border. Illegal Drugs Illegal Drugs are another concern on both sides of the border. 89% of Mexicans named drug trafficking as one of the top two “serious threats” faced by their nation. Drugs such as marijuana and cocaine (among others) affect the economy and well-being of nations. Many Mexicans believe that their government should step up and take responsibility in dealing with problems such as drug trafficking. This is a view held by many Americans as well, "...related to drug trafficking is especially likely to be viewed as a problem for the national government to solve." Economy and Trade Keeping the economy stable is a struggle for every nation. Tools used to help the economy, in both the United States and Mexico, include cuts in government spending, privatization, as well as opening up the economy to foreign influence. Opening up the economy more has allowed the importation of new technology, as well as the creation of maquiladora factories. The new reforms for economic freedom have brought inflation down, as well as national debt, and created a more visible middle class. One example of how the economy in Mexico has been opened up is seen in the North American Free-Trade Agreement. NAFTA eliminated tariffs between Mexico, the United States, and Canada and will remove all barriers to trade by 2010. Cutting government spending lowers taxes and brings inflation under control. Privatization helps cut government spending by opening up many government enterprises to competition in the market. This loosens the strain on taxpayers who were paying to fund government projects that are now being run in the private sector. Bibliography •Anonymous. "Felipe Calderon." Time 168.21 (Nov 20, 2006) •Constitution of the United Mexican States. •Constitution of the United States of America. •FitzGerald, Tara. "Mexico's international vision: tackling the myths; First foreign policy poll reveals strong nationalism, international pragmatism." Business Mexico 14.11 (Nov 2004): 24(8). •Hanna, Julia. Political Turmoil and Mexico’s Economy. •Hauss, Charles. Comparative Politics: Domestic Responses to Global Challenges. George Mason University: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. •Pérez-Stable, Marifeli. Calderón Hints at Renewing Ties with Cuba. •Sidlow, Edward and Beth Henschen. America at Odds. Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. •The Economist. Political Structure. •The Economist. Tariffs and Tortillas. •Thornburgh, Nathan."An Illegal Alien Problem--In Mexico." Time 169.12 (March 19, 2007) See Also
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