Deck 10: Mexico

Question 1

Mexico's membership in NAFTA is symbolic of its

A) continuous integration in the world economy since its colonization by Spain.
B) current acceptance of its role in the global economy after a brief period of turning inward following the Mexican Revolution in order to assert its economic independence.
C) only recent integration into the world economy.
D) attempt to overthrow the shackles of foreign domination, which has plagued the country throughout its history.
E) acceptance of U.S. economic domination.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

After the Mexican Revolution, Mexico adopted an economic system called _______________ that relied heavily on government actions to encourage private investment and reduce risk for private entrepreneurs, while accepting some degree of government ownership of the means of production.

A) communism
B) socialism
C) dirigisme
D) state capitalism
E) laissez-faire capitalism

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The Mexican regime has been viewed as being legitimate following its social revolution because

A) it incorporated peasants and workers into the Institutional Revolution Party (PRI) and its government institutions.
B) of its communist nature.
C) of its resistance to U.S. domination.
D) it supported an open and competitive political system.
E) of the dominance of the military in Mexican politics.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Felipe Calderón was able to consolidate his hold over power in Mexico despite his winning the presidency by a narrow margin in 2006 due to

A) U.S. support for his administration .
B) Vicente Fox's selection of Calderón as the National Action Party's (PAN) presidential candidate.
C) Lopez Obrador's refusal to concede defeat, which divided Mexico's political opposition.
D) the support of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
E) his effective policies fighting Mexican drug cartels.

Question 5

Mexican president Lázaro Cárdenas is best remembered for his redistribution of land in the form of ____________ to the Mexican peasantry, which provided much support for his government.

A) haciendas
B) rancheros
C) granjas
D) ejidos
E) caudillos

Question 6

Which of the following is TRUE about Mexican security?

A) El Chapo's success in evading arrest for more than a decade made him a symbol of the weaknesses and shortcomings of the Mexican state.
B) Success at capturing El Chapo didn't counter fears that Mexico was in danger of becoming a failed state.
C) President Calderon's offensive against Mexican drug cartels gave Mexican citizens a lot of confidence in his leadership.
D) Security authorities are well respected and seen as being effective in Mexico.
E) U.S. drug prevention efforts have decreased the demand in the United States for illegal narcotics from Mexico.

Question 7

The Porfiriato was the period of

A) revolution in which General Porfirio gained independence from Spain.
B) authoritarian rule by Porfirio Díaz, in which he encouraged foreign investment and economic development while closing off political opportunities for large numbers of the Mexican middle and upper class.
C) civil war, resulting in the separation of the country into northern and southern regions.
D) U. S. military occupation of several key cities in Mexico.
E) Spanish rule in Mexico.

Question 8

Plutarco Elías Calles created a political party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), to

A) eliminate the power of the military in Mexican politics .
B) establish lasting control over the Mexican political system, at least until his death.
C) limit the power of the Catholic Church within Mexican politics.
D) consolidate the power of the Sonoran Dynasty within Mexican politics.
E) accommodate the interests of the various power contenders in order to limit political violence and reap greater economic spoils in Mexico.

Question 9

How did Presidents Miguel de la Madrid and Carlos Salinas confront Mexico's economic crisis of the 1980s?

A) By borrowing against Mexico's expected future income from oil exports
B) By recommitting the country to the previously successful import-substitution industrialization model of economic development
C) By opening Mexican markets to foreign trade and by limiting the role of government in the economy
D) By opening Mexican markets to foreign trade and nationalizing key industries
E) By imposing new taxes to boost government revenue

Question 10

Assembly factories that produce goods for export, often located along the U.S. - Mexican border are called

A) ejidatorios.
B) maquiladoras.
C) centificos.
D) conquistadors.
E) mestizos.

Question 11

Which of the following progressive social measures was NOT included in the Mexican Constitution of 1917?

A) The right to a free secular education
B) Minimum wage and an eight-hour workday for workers
C) Women's suffrage
D) A social security system
E) Agrarian reform

Question 12

According to your textbook, what is considered to be the starting point of Mexican political history?

A) The arrival of Cortes in the Yucatan Peninsula.
B) The toppling of the Aztec Empire in 1521 by Cortes.
C) The loss of Mexican territory following the Mexican-American war in 1848.
D) The start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
E) The end of French rule by Emperor Maximilian in 1867.

Question 13

Mexico's geography has

A) facilitated trade with its neighboring countries
B) made the country vulnerable to invasion and foreign occupation.
C) made communication and transportation between Mexico's regions difficult.
D) facilitated large-scale commercial agriculture throughout its territory.
E) facilitated economic development evenly throughout Mexico.

Question 14

Seeing firsthand how foreign companies disregarded local regulations and flouted Mexican sovereignty, __________ nationalized Mexico's petroleum industry during his tenure as president.

A) Plutarco Elias Calles
B) Ernesto Zedillo
C) Vicente Fox
D) Felipe Calderon
E) Lazaro Cardenas

Question 15

Between 1940 and 1982, Mexico pursued a trade and economic policy called ______________ that involved the domestic manufacture of previous imported good to satisfy domestic market demands.

A) state capitalism
B) sta te socialism
C) import and export embargo
D) import substitution industrialization
E) porfiriato

Question 16

The term mestizo refers to people who

A) are of mixed Spanish, indigenous, and sometimes African descent.
B) are half American and half Mexican.
C) emigrated from Mexico to America.
D) live in Mexico but come from elsewhere in Central America.
E) are descended from Mayan Indians.

Question 17

____________ are local strongmen that exercised more authority than the Mexican national government from 1833-1855.

A) Generals
B) Jefe Máximos
C) Cientificos
D) Caudillos
E) Razas

Question 18

____________ refers to an informal system in which a powerful patron offers resources in return for the support of lower-status and less-powerful clients.

A) Patrimonialism
B) Pragmatic accommodation
C) Corruption
D) Clientelism
E) Institutional representation

Question 19

Until 2000, Mexico's political system was referred to as a(n) ____________ due to the domination of the PRI (the ruling party) at all levels of government and the co-options, marginalization or repression (as a last resort) through a corporatist state.

A) totalitarian dictatorship
B) super-presidential system
C) perfect dictatorship
D) one-party system
E) autocracy

Question 20

President Vicente Fox found it difficult to enact his domestic agenda because

A) he lacked international support.
B) he lacked the compliant congressional majority that his predecessors had enjoyed.
C) Mexico's ongoing economic difficulties distracted the administration often forcing it to pursue policies at odds with the president's agenda.
D) his advisors were severely divided over what the administration's priorities should be.
E) his party lacked majority control within the Mexican legislature.

Question 21

Which of the following about Mexico's environment is NOT true?

A) One result of the country's pursuit of economic development and industrialization is that Mexico City is one of the most-polluted cities in the world.
B) Mexico's environmental movement has been hampered by the fact that the country lacks a tradition of conservation.
C) Mexico's membership in NAFTA has forced the country to undertake greater environmental oversight.
D) The country established an environmental ministry in 1994, signaling its recognition that environmental concerns were important to the government.
E) In the 1980s, Mexican cities began to pressure the government for better air pollution controls.

Question 22

Formal powers of the Mexican president include all of the following EXCEPT

A) initiating legislation.
B) creating government agencies.
C) making policy through decree.
D) appointing public officials.
E) selecting his successor.

Question 23

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)

A) established a bracero program in the United States, allowing Mexican workers to enter the United States to provide much-needed manpower.
B) made it illegal to Mexican migrant workers in the United States to send remittances to their relatives in Mexico.
C) allowed migrants who had resided in the United states for a long time to gain legal residency rights.
D) heightened efforts in the United States to establish a border fence along the U.S. - Canadian and U.S. - Mexican borders to make crossing these borders more difficult .
E) cut off social services for undocumented Mexican migrants in the United States.

Question 24

Which of the following was NOT a result of the discovery of large oil reserves in Mexico during the 1970s?

A) These reserves allowed the government to embark upon substantial investment programs  in virtually all sectors of the Mexican economy.
B) These reserves allowed Mexico to finance initiatives to reduce poverty and halt declining agricultural productivity.
C) These reserves allowed the government to address, at least initially, some of the problems brought about by import substitution industrialization.
D) These reserves resulted in Mexico becoming increasingly vulnerable to international economic fluctuations in the demand for and price of oil.
E) These reserves increased the power of privileged interest groups in Mexico and their ability to influence government policy.

Question 25

Mexico's level of social development

A) is lowest along the US - Mexican border due to the exploitative employment practices of the maquilodoras.
B) has a regional dimension with southern areas of the country being significantly better off than central and northern areas.
C) i s lower and distributed less well in comparison to many Latin American states.
D) is lower due to the large numbers of people living in urban areas where they overwhelm Mexico's government programs.
E) was relatively unaffected by the 1980s economic crisis.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT true about the Mexican president's power of appointment?

A) The president's authority to appoint high-level officials allows him to provide policy direction.
B) The sheer number of positions that the president is able to appoint means that the beginning of each administration experiences a high level of turnover in political positions, which slows progress on the president's political agenda in the early part of his sexenio.
C) The president's authority to make appointments has been severely curtailed by the Mexican Congress as a means of making the policy-making process more democratic.
D) The president has the power to appoint not only members of the cabinet but also other high-level officials.
E) The president's power of appointment helps the president build a team of like-minded officials and secure their loyalty.

Question 27

The Mexican Miracle of the 1940s through the 1970s refers to a period

A) where the Mexican military's influence was eliminated from the country's domestic political scene.
B) of impressive economic performance in Mexico.
C) of rapid progress towards a more equitable distribution of income in Mexico.
D) where Mexico was able to dominate Central American economies even more so than the United States.
E) of impressive political stability in Mexico.

Question 28

The term sexenio refers to the six year term in office of

A) Mexican presidents, senators, and governors.
B) Mexican presidents, senators, governors, and Congressional deputies.
C) Mexican presidents and governors, but not members of the Mexican legislature.
D) the Mexican President, but not other elected officials.
E) all elected officials in Mexico.

Question 29

Between 1988 and 1994, PRI presidents introduced a series of reforms to liberalize the economy t o end the country's traditional import substitution industrialization policy. Which of the following was NOT such a reform?

A) The privatization of many state enterprises
B) Deregulation of the private sector
C) The division of ejidos into individually owned plots of land
D) Mexican membership in NAFTA
E) The strengthening of Mexican federal system to give more authority to Mexico's traditionally weak central government to promote economic development

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT representative of the Mexican government's growing recognition of the importance of Mexican communities working in other countries and the remittances they send back to Mexico?

A) The passage of a 1996 law in Mexico allowing Mexicans to hold dual citizenship.
B) Mexican governors, mayors, and federal officials regularly visiting representatives of Mexican migrant groups in the United States.
C) The allowance of Mexicans living abroad to participate in Mexican federal elections.
D) The Mexican government's lobbying the U.S. government for immigration reform.
E) The Mexican government's seeking of support and funding for projects in Mexico from these communities.

Question 31

Why were the 1985 earthquakes in Mexico City a watershed in Mexican politics?

A) Groups learned that they could solve their problems better without the Mexican government than with it.
B) Armed militias who challenged the legitimacy of the government emerged.
C) The swift and efficient response of the Mexican government reinforced the legitimacy of the PRI.
D) The massive relief efforts of the United States helped to ease the tensions between the two states.
E) They led to the defeat of the PRI in the 1988 elections.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT true about the Mexican bureaucracy?

A) Although officials at lower levels of bureaucracy are ensured job security by legislation, those at the middle and upper levels serve only so long as their bosses have confidence in them.
B) The bulk of the federal bureaucracy work in Mexico City.
C) The size of the federal bureaucracy is roughly equal to the size of the bureaucracies of state and local governments
D) About one-quarter of Mexico's bureaucracy is employed by its state-owned industries and semi-autonomous government agencies.
E) While a career in Mexico's bureaucracy was once attractive, since 2000, it has become less so due to the decreased power of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the increased power of the private sector in Mexico.

Question 33

Peňa Nieto's candidacy during the 2012 Mexican presidential election reflected

A) the influence of the U.S. government in Mexican elections.
B) a return to the old pattern of Mexican presidents selecting their successors.
C) the prominence state governors had gained in the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) during the years the party had been out of power at the national level.
D) the prominence Mexico's lower legislatures had gained in recent years within Mexican politics.
E) the continuing power of the Mexican military in national politics.

Question 34

Which of the following was NOT an effect of import substitution industrialization (ISI)?

A) It achieved rapid economic growth.
B) Industries that received government subsidies had less incentive to produce
C) Particular groups - such as commercial farmers and union workers - benefited under ISI and provided a strong base of support for this development strategy.
D) It led to a decrease in urban and rural poverty.
E) It led to the development of a sizeable informal sector in Mexico.

Question 35

During the period of Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) dominance, the party's presidential candidate was selected

A) through a primary election process.
B) through consultation with the important organizations that represented different segments of Mexican society.
C) through a caucus of party leaders.
D) through a decision made by the outgoing president.
E) by a majority of state governors.

Question 36

Members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected through

A) a first-past-the-post elections in individual districts.
B) a system of proportional representation.
C) appointment by the Mexican president.
D) a combination of proportional representation and simple majority.
E) appointment by their regional legislatures.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT true about the Mexican cabinet?

A) While Peňa Nieto has followed PRI tradition to name some aides from his term as governor and PRI allies from key regions, he has broken with tradition to appoint members of the opposition to his cabinet.
B) It often consists of numerous members of the Mexican bureaucracy that have few political ties to the party in power.
C) While few women have been selected for ministry-level posts, several have recently served as Mexico's Foreign Minister and Attorney General.
D) Before 2000, the Mexican president usually appointed those with whom he had worked closely over the years.
E) Although Calderón filled his cabinet with long-time members of the National Action Party (PAN) who had a long history of political engagement, few of Fox's cabinet appointees had political experience or close ties to PAN.

Question 38

Today, Mexico's economic profile is quite distinct from many of its Latin American neighbors because of its

A) continued heavy reliance on exports of agricultural products and raw materials.
B) growing manufacturing sector, including advanced industries like an aerospace industry.
C) continued reliance on import substitution industrialization and state capitalism .
D) declining GDP due to its participation in NAFTA .
E) close economic ties with Russia.

Question 39

Government-owned corporations or agencies that promote or organize commercial activity in a particular sector and serve as sources of patronage or generators of government revenue are called

A) aberturas.
B) maquiladoras.
C) cietificos.
D) parastatals.
E) favelas.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT true of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as it relates to Mexico?

A) The reduction of trade barriers has led to a more evenly balanced level of trade between Mexico and the United States.
B) Domestic producers worry about competition from U.S. firms.
C) It has meant that the fate of the Mexican economy has become increasingly tied to the American economy.
D) It has led to fears of "cultural imperialism."
E) Free trade entails a loss of sovereignty for Mexico.

Question 41

The National Action Party (PAN) has traditionally run on a platform that includes

A) less regional autonomy, greater regulation of business, and anticlericalism.
B) greater regional autonomy, less government intervention in the economy, and clean and fair elections.
C) increased use of proportional representation, rapprochement with the Catholic Church, and more government intervention in the economy.
D) support for private and religious education, less regional autonomy, and clean and fair elections.
E) greater regional autonomy, opposition to NAFTA, and support for private and religious education.

Question 42

In terms of its impact on the policy-making process, the sexenio

A) makes the Mexican bureaucracy the focal point of policy formulation and the Mexican Congress the focal point of policy manager.
B) makes policy innovation less likely since the Mexican President is a lame duck from the start of his term of office.
C) traditionally makes the Mexican president the person most responsible for policy slippage.
D) makes it easy for the Mexican president to introduce extensive personnel changes upon coming to office in order to build a team of people who are motivated to carry out his policy goals.
E) made policy discontinuity impossible before 2000 due to the dominance of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and its ideology within the Mexican political system.

Question 43

The Mexican Congress has evolved from a rubber-stamp institution to one that must be negotiated with the executive branch due to

A) rulings by the Mexican Supreme Court upholding Congress's role in the policy process.
B) the passage of constitutional amendments that strengthened the role of the Mexican Congress .
C) the loss by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of its stranglehold on congressional representation.
D) the growth of a recalcitrant public demanding more representation in the policy-making process.
E) changes in the policy implementation process, which   made the process less flexible.

Question 44

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) faced a difficult future beginning in the twenty-first century, because Mexican voters were more

A) educated, urban, and older.
B) urban, middle-class, and younger.
C) rural, poor, and uneducated.
D) urban, poor, and older.
E) upper class, urban, and educated

Question 45

Writs of _____________ may be used by Mexican citizens when their constitutional rights have been violated by specific government actions or laws and occasionally by Mexican courts to slow the actions of government.

A) security
B) amparos
C) habeas corpus
D) constitutional complaint
E) tutelage action

Question 46

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was founded by a coalition of Mexican political elites who believed that

A) it was better to work out their differences through a system of compromise rather than resorting to violence.
B) uniting all classes under the control of one mass party would prevent the spread of communism to Mexico.
C) a mass party was necessary to confront the political influence of the Catholic Church.
D) the promotion of agrarian reform and the rights of workers was necessary if Mexico wanted to develop economically.
E) the formation of a mass party would better achieve democracy due to its corporate structures representing all class interests.

Question 47

The Mexican political system's traditional response to important interest groups is generally characterized as

A) pragmatic accommodation.
B) patron-clientelism.
C) hostile confrontation.
D) violent repression.
E) cautious cooperation.

Question 48

Which of the following may be a potential limit on the future role of the media in Mexican politics?

A) The number of newspapers and news magazines is declining.
B) Many citizens lack access to global television networks.
C) Mexico's media outlets are increasingly coming under the control of the national government.
D) Violence and intimidation of reporters by drug cartels has limited the ability of the media to report on a key issue.
E) The circulation of newspapers is declining.

Question 49

Historically, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was organized in a corporatist fashion in which the interests of certain social groups were represented through national organizations. Which of the following was NOT a group that was represented in the party's structure?

A) Labor
B) Peasants
C) The Catholic Church
D) Public employees
E) Small business owners

Question 50

The National Action Party (PAN) has drawn most of its political support from the

A) Gulf coast.
B) southern states.
C) northern states.
D) rural countryside.
E) Mexico City Federal District area.

Question 51

The factor that inhibits the electoral prospects of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) is

A) the ability of the PRI and PAN to continuously appropriate its policies.
B) electoral fraud.
C) the inability of the party to win the control of any state or the Federal District in Mexico.
D) factionalization within the party.
E) Andre Manuel Lopez Obrador's refusal to step down as leader of the party after two failed presidential election attempts.

Question 52

Which of the following was NOT a measure adopted to make it easier for political parties to participate politically in Mexican politics?

A) The creation of an independent electoral commission
B) The establishment of public financing for all parties
C) Guaranteed access to the media for all parties
D) The imposition of term limits
E) Electoral reforms making it easier for opposition parties to contest elections

Question 53

Historically, Mexican citizens best interacted with their government through

A) a variety of informal means.
B) interest group lobbying.
C) elections.
D) direct contact with their Chamber of Deputies representatives.
E) political unrest and protest activity.

Question 54

The PRI's corporatist structure meant that the party

A) integrated economic groups into its internal decision-making process.
B) worked closely with Mexican corporations to further Mexican economic development.
C) was structured in an efficient and effective way, like a business corporation.
D) distributed public resources, like jobs and land, through extended networks to lower level activists who controlled votes at the local level.
E) acted as a referee in conflicts between Mexico's interest groups and between these groups and the Mexican government.

Question 55

The long-term viability of Mexico's smaller parties is limited due to the fact that

A) they have been unable to form alliances with the larger parties in national and state elections.
B) they lack a national following as smaller parties only have won seats in Mexico's regional legislatures.
C) Mexican law required parties to receive at least 2.5 percent of the vote in order to compete in future elections.
D) they never win seats in Mexico's Senate.
E) many Mexicans view a vote for one of Mexico's smaller parties as a wasted vote.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT true of state and municipal governments in Mexico?

A) Most municipal governments tend to rely upon funds from the central government.
B) Municipal and state governments suffer from the lack of well-paid and well-trained public officials.
C) Many jobs at these levels are distributed through political patronage.
D) State and municipal governments have traditionally had a substantial level of authority in the Mexican federal system although this power is being threatened by federal efforts to centralize power to better fight against local corruption.
E) Since 1989, politics at the state and municipal levels have become politically competitive with opposition parties gaining control of these levels of government.

Question 57

Which of the following is TRUE of the military in Mexico?

A) The Mexican military became subordinate to civilian control in 1946 after it gained representation within the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
B) No military officer has been president of Mexico.
C) After the Mexican Revolution, Mexico's Presidents Calles and Cardenas introduced the practice of rotating regional military commands so officers could not build geographic bases of power.
D) Mexican military leaders are prevented from engaging in business ventures so as to avoid corruption in the armed forces.
E) Mexico's military has never been involved in acts of political repression, torture, and killing like in other Latin American states.

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT true about Mexico's parastatal sector?

A) The development of this sector came about in large part because of the government's post-1940 development strategy.
B) This sector has generally grown smaller since the 1980s due to economic policy reforms.
C) Some core components of the sector will likely remain in government hands for the foreseeable future.
D) This sector has been limited to industries involved in heavy manufacturing and the energy sector.
E) There exists an influential bloc of nationalists who view public ownership of key industries as symbolically important.

Question 59

One of the most significant changes being made to the Mexican judiciary is the introduction of

A) oral testimony and the presumption of innocence.
B) habeas corpus to prevent unlawful detention.
C) judicial review.
D) trial by jury.
E) specialized courts, such as labor courts, military courts, and electoral courts .

Question 60

An example of the loss of deference accorded to the Mexican president is the

A) Mexican president's difficulty in delivering his informe, or State of the Nation report, to the Mexican Congress .
B) "Yo soy 132" movement.
C) recent move by Congress to amend the Mexican constitution to include a vice president within the Mexican executive.
D) efforts by the Mexican Congress to impose term limits upon the president.
E) instances where members of the public have thrown their shoes at the President during some of his public appearances.

Question 61

On paper, Mexico's political system resembles that of the United States, but, in practice, it differs quite significantly.  Compare and contrast the Mexican political system with the U.S. political system.  Discuss how it is similar and different.

Question 62

Examine how Mexico's leaders have responded to the challenges of globalization. Discuss the policies they have adopted and assess their successfulness in preparing the country to compete in an increasingly complex global economy. Assess the impact of these policies on Mexico's domestic politics. Please cite specific examples in your argument.

Question 63

Compare and contrast Mexico's major political parties, including their supporters and policy platforms.   Describe how they are similar and different.   Explain the challenges facing these parties.

Question 64

Describe four critical junctures of Mexican history.   Explain the impact of these junctures on Mexico's political, economic, and social development.

Question 65

Describe the major challenges facing Mexico today.   Of these challenges, which do you think is the most pressing challenge?

Question 66

Discuss the economic developments in Mexico that have had the greatest effects, both good and bad, on the country and its citizenry. Explain the degree government policy has affected such developments. Explain the degree to which they were shaped by outside forces. Please use specific examples in your answer.

Question 67

Explain how, since the 1980s, the balance of power between the executive and legislature has shifted.   Describe what accounts for these shifts. Explain the impact(s) these shifts have had upon the policy-making process in Mexico.

Question 68

Describe how Pena Nieto's administration is different from his PRI predecessors.   Discuss one way his government has attempted to overcome his initial difficulties as president of Mexico.

Question 69

Explain the impact of social media and communications technology on Mexican politics.

Question 70

Explain how the PRI maintained control over Mexico for so long without facing significant challenges to its power.   Describe several factors that helped to bring the end of the PRI's hegemonic position.   Discuss the future of this party.   Please cite specific examples in your answer.