Current Political Parties In Mexico
Mexican Political Parties
Under Mexican Law, parties are categorized into eight divisions, including three major political parties and more than five minor parties. Each division is comprised of people with common interest and goals. The political parties of Mexico are organized in ways similar to the United States. Like the United States, Mexico has a multi-party system. The biggest political parties are the PRI, PAN, and the PRD.
The dominating political party is called the Industrial Revolution Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, also known as PRI). It is part of the Socialist International. It is most perceived as left of center, supporting a mixed economy idea and naturalized industries.
The party was organized as a result of Polutarco Elias Cales’s efforts to stop a violent and long-term struggle for power after the Mexican Revolution, which was a period of political and military conflict. The PRI, under various names, has been in power almost 70 years. All presidents between the end of the revolution and the election of 2000 were representatives from the PRI, or one of it’s variously named predecessors.
After the loss of the Cristero War, another major party, the National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional, PAN) was born. The party was also looking for peace after the chaos of the Mexican Revolution. It is based on a Christian lifestyle with conservative views and even support from the pope. With it’s right-winged attitude and conservative opinions, this party could be compared to the United States’ Republican Party. But, although, it is currently linked to a conservative stance, it does not consider itself to be a conservative party.
Like the Republican Party of the United States, National Action Party members fight for anti-abortion laws, advocates free enterprise, reduces taxes and aims for a smaller government.
Some PAN mayors and governors have banned employees from wearing mini-skirts, have been known to use religion to pressure rape victims out of having an abortion, and even banned the use of profanity in public from their employees.
Vicente Fox, a candidate representing the National Action Party in 2000, was fined $20,00 for mixing religion with politics by holding a banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Even in a country where 90 percent of the population is Catholic, there is still a...