POLIGOV-FRIDAY

DGE004/2:40-5:40PM/A411
Ravago, Robin Anthony P.
11259930

May 06, 2016

Ms. Portia Bismonte

MEXICO: State and its Elements

A. Four Elements of the State:
1. People
- The native Mexicans draw their roots from the rich Maya heritage.
- Religion is a fundamental support system for most Mexicans. The most
widely practiced religion is Christianity with Catholics making up eighty
nine percent of the countrys population.
- Mexico is a patriarchal society.
- The Mexican society appears to have a strong focus on masculinity and
men are expected to be strong and aggressive. True to that, the term
machismo has its roots in Mexico.
- Mexico is a very social society, which can be seen from the sheer number
festivals the people celebrate.
- The countrys population is relatively young. 64% of Mexicans are
between the ages of 15 and 65 years. A further 30% of the population is
below 15. Only 6% are above the age of 65, this despite the countrys high
life expectancy of 76 years.
- Most spoken language is Spanish followed by the sixty two indigenous
languages.
- Mexicans consider themselves Americans, therefore, it is important that
Americans refer to themselves as Americans from the United States or
Estados Unidos Americanos
2. Territory
- North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico,
between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific
Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States.
- 1,964,375 sq km total area: 1,943,945 sq km land + 20,430 sq km water
- Mexico City as capital
- Other major cities are Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez,
Tijuana, Acapulco, Merida, Leon, Veracruz.
- Terrain: Coastal lowlands, Central high plateaus and mountains up to
5,400 meters, lowest elevation is 10 meters below sea level which is
Laguna Sagada
- Main rivers are Balsas, Rio Grande, Yaqui
- Mexico shares a 3,141 km (1,952 mi) border with the United States.

Majority of the Mexican central and northern territories are located at high
altitudes, and the highest elevations are found at the Trans-Mexican
Volcanic Belt: Pico de Orizaba (5,700 m), Popocatepetl (5,462 m) and
Iztaccihuatl (5,286 m) and the Nevado de Toluca (4,577 m).

3. Government
- Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States)
- 16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)
- Civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of
legislative acts.
- Named after the Mexica, the largest and most powerful branch of the
Aztecs; the meaning of the name is uncertain.
- Three parties have historically been the dominant parties in Mexican
politics: the National Action Party: a conservative party founded in 1939
and belonging to the Christian Democrat Organization of America; the
Institutional Revolutionary Party, a center-left party and member of
Socialist International.
- The United Mexican States are a federation whose government is
representative, democratic and republican based on a presidential system
according to the 1917 Constitution.
- 31 states and 1 federal district
- The executive is the President of the United Mexican States, who is the
head of state and government, as well as the commander-in-chief of the
Mexican military forces. The President also appoints the Cabinet and
other officers.
4. Sovereignty
- It is the will of the Mexican people to organize themselves into a federal'
democratic, representative Republic composed of free and sovereign
States in all that concerns their internal government' but united in a
Federation established according to the principles of this fundamental law.
- Fears of militarization of the Mexican territory, which could foster human
rights abuses.
- Sovereignty of Mexican household highlights importance of incorporating
women as activists around issues of food and water rights as they impact
on family health and sustainability.
- The remarkable thing about the transfer of power from the National Action
Party (PAN) to the PRI in 2012 is the lack of any kind of real change in
drug war policy.
- U.S. policy and the profound economic and political complicity on the part
of the Mexican elite have meant that violence is contained south of the
border.
- Mexican Revolution is based on the separation between Church and State
and on defending human rights, labor rights, the right to education, to
healthcare, and today its updated to include provision of a healthy
environment and access to information.

Independence Day on September 16 is the most widely celebrated of

Mexicos four political national holidays. Others are marking the
promulgation of the 1917 Constitution (in February); the birth of 19th
century president Benito Jurez (in March); and the start of the 1910-1917
Revolution (in November) pale in comparison with the September
independence holiday.

B. Theory of origin of state

1. Necessity theory is the best that can describe the state of Mexico. It was
formed by mans desire and wants, and the inability to produce everything he
needed, so entered into interdependence with other dependents to supply
each other with which one had and the other lacked, and vice versa.
A country rich in history, tradition and culture, Mexico is made up of 31 states
and one federal district. It is the third largest country in Latin America and has
one of the largest populationsmore than 100 millionmaking it the home of
more Spanish speakers than any other nation in the world. Despite the
political and social changes that have occurred over the centuries, evidence
of past cultures and events are apparent everywhere in Mexico. Many of
Mexicos rural areas are still inhabited by indigenous people whose lifestyles
are quite similar to those of their ancestors. In addition, many pre-Columbian
ruins still exist throughout Mexico, including the ancient city of Teotihuacn
and the Mayan pyramids at Chichn Itz and Tulum. Reminders of the
colonial past are evident in the architecture of towns like Taxco and
Quertaro.
Mexican history hardly begins with the arrival of the conquistadors. In fact,
Mexico has been settled since at least 20,000 B.C., when migratory hunters
from Asia and Africa made it here. The three major influences are:
First, the native cultures: The Maya, Inca, Aztec, Toltec and many other
societies and cultures are ancient, and their language and peoples have
survived the best efforts of European conquerors to eradicate them.
Second, the Spanish: After conquering Mexico, the Spanish understood a
complete transformation of the culture, architecture, society and language.
The Spanish spoken in Mexico today is the most obvious example.
Third, the Northern Border: Mexico's frequent skirmishes and wars with the
young United States shaped both countries and enriched the cultures of both
immeasurably.

Sources
http://www.facts-about-mexico.com/history-of-mexico.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html
http://www.allaboutmexico.com/geography.html
http://www.allaboutmexico.com/cultureAndHistory.html
http://www.helplinelaw.com/law/mexico/constitution/constitution02.php
http://www.mexperience.com/celebrating-sovereignty-in-mexico/
https://www.solidarity-us.org/node/2801
https://nacla.org/blog/2014/3/10/self-defense-groups-sovereignty-and-cross-bordercollaboration-mexico-interview-johnHernandez, A (2011) When cooperation and intervention meet: sovereignty in the
Mexico-United States relationship. Retreived from
http://amsterdamlawforum.org/article/view/235