Political structure of Mexico and its evolution
First background
To have a clear conception of the evolution of the federal system in Mexico, there is a need to indicate the main characteristics and powers of the political institutions that acted in Spain and New Spain at the dawn of independence. It can be determined with objectivity that the political structure of Mexico before independence had an eminently centralist cut, being at the cusp of power the king, who had an absolute command and concentrated the legislative, executive and judicial powers;He was also considered the representative of God on earth, for which he also served as head of the Church;The rules that flowed through all the dependencies were his creations, some of these delegated them but the right to confirm or revoke the acts of their subordinates was always reserved. The Council of the Indies, who made the necessary decisions in the field of finance, defense, relations with the natives and in general in everything related to good governance in administrative tasks. He also acted with supreme civil and criminal jurisdiction in overseas litigation. Just as the Council of the Indies helped the King in administrative functions, the House of Contracting of Seville had the function of controlling and regulating trade with the Indies, it was also responsible for doing important geography studies. This is an emigration office, trade deposit, commercial court and nautical school. The institutions mentioned were the spine of colonizing Spain, therefore the authorities of the colonies did not perform more than the strictly indispensable functions, being in the center of decisions to the metropolitan organs within a rigorous structure. The viceroy represents the highest civil authority in New Spain, as representative of the Sovereign has the character of Vice Patron of the Church;He exercises government and administrative functions;He is the Superintendent of the Royal Treasury and Protector of the Indians. ‘At the end of your government period you must leave a relationship in which your point of view on public business and the best way to solve them. The audience had judicial faculties and it was notable interference in administrative matters as a political counterweight to the viceroy. It was composed of listeners appointed by the monarch and chaired by the viceroy himself. The Hearing of Mexico, in addition to acting as a court of the last instance of the colonies, sanctioned the transcendental measures of the viceroy exercising the real agreement, could fail judicial causes against him and replaced him in his absences. He had the obligation to inform the monarch regarding the situation of the Indians, and of the laws dictated for their protection. The provinces were administered by a governor appointed by the monarch himself and subordinate to the viceroy, but not to the audience, a little before independence with the advent of the Bourbons to the Spanish crown brought with him administrative reforms of a more centralizing spirit, establishing himselfTwelve intendances which were headed by a general mayor who exercised administrative powers mainly in the Treasury Branch. Inside the intentions were divided into matches, subject to sub -delegates dependent in turn of the mayor. The intendances together with the internal provinces and the four independent governments, constituted the current territorial division at the beginning of the independence of Mexico. The last part of the colonial administrative structure was constituted by the municipalities, which remained subject to the audience: mayors, corregidores and later to the mayors. Even though in the early days the choice of municipal authorities was practiced, later the charges became sellable with the purpose of reserving them to wealthy Spaniards.
Constitution of Cádiz
As Madrid was the headquarters and capital of the monarchy, what happened there immediately influenced the entire Spanish empire. In the big cities of America, the highest social class people tended to imitate how much they were carried out in court. The viceroyes and general captains tried to create a situation in the image and likeness of Madrid. In the beginning of 1908 everything favored so that Minister Godoy continued to occupy a predominant function in the Spanish Crown. For many years no official was appointed without their authorization;under the pretext of creating a kingdom in the Algarbes for Godoy, a treaty was signed between France and Spain, which was ratified by Napoleon, with which the French troops entered Spain;Given this situation he spread the discredit of the royal family and his complaints led to Bayonne’s infamous treaty. Before the general discontent, the Spaniards rose almost unanimously against the French and following the traditional popular spirit, every city, province or region acted on their own, without further law or norm than their own enthusiasm. A Central Government Board settled in Aranjuez and then changed its headquarters, forced by war actions to Seville and later to Cádiz. The authority of the Board was recognized in the Peninsula and the overseas territories. The Cortes of Cádiz opened solemnly on September 24, 1810, nine days after the initiation of the Independence Revolution in Mexico. The Mexican Diputación was integrated by seventeen members, being central theme among them the need to create mechanisms to relieve colonial centralism.
The constitution of Cádiz promulgated in March 1812, established the freedom of printing, limited the authority of the king, gave some antieclesiastical provisions, but did not solve the great American problems. The deputies of America wanted to have in the Courts a representation equal to that enjoyed by the Spaniards, they also aspired to raise the prohibitions that hindered colonial life, demanded more freedoms for their respective countries and the right to occupy as the peninsular, thehigh civil and ecclesiastical positions.
Principle of independence
The reasons that produced the struggle for the independence of Mexico have been divided into external and internal causes. Among the internal causes we can mention the progress achieved in New Spain, the economic, social and political inequality of its inhabitants, in addition to the limitations to trade and industry by Spain, finally a determining factor was the political element since the CreolesThey wanted to participate in the exercise of public power.
As external causes, the decline of the Spanish Empire, the influence of the Enlightenment, the independence of the United States, the French Revolution, the intervention of Great Britain and the United States to favor the emancipation of Spanish -American countries and invasionFrench of Spain.
On September 16, the confrontation begins, taking the insurgent army an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe that transforms into war. Hidalgo takes hold of Celaya and Guanajuato in October, takes without exercising Valladolid violence, to deal with the rebels, Trucuato Trujlllo is designated who is defeated by the insurgents on the mount of Las Cruces, after this victory Hidalgo TemeThe excesses of the crowd and refrains from seizing Mexico City, so it proceeds to retire.
Constitution of Apatzingán
This document is considered the maximum legacy of the struggles headed by José Maria Morelos y Pavón, called the Constitutional Decree for the Freedom of Mexican America, which was promulgated in the Villa de Apatzingán on October 22, 1814.
Zitácuaro, Chilpancingo and Apatzingán were the scene of the three key political moments of the predecessors of Hidalgo, who would live to organize and establish for the first time within a legal framework an independent government. In the city of Zitácuaro Install, Ignacio López Rayón the National Government Board, which begins its sessions on September 10, 1811.- Created this Board for having understood Rayón the need to integrate a political entity that unified the interests of the different insurgent groups, from it the document called constitutional elements arose, which represents the first attempt to organize the Mexican State shortly after having initiated theFight for Independence.
One of the fundamental titles of the Constitution of 1814 is that of equality, security, property and freedom of citizens where the following is mentioned: the happiness of the people and of each of the citizens consisting of the enjoyment of equality, security, security, property and freedom. The full conservation of these rights is the object of the institution of governments and the only purpose of political associations. The safety of citizens consists of social guarantee, which cannot exist without the limits of the powers and the responsibility of public officials being fixed in the law.
The three powers
The political organization of Mexico divides the exercise of public power into three powers: legislative, executive and judicial. Each of them performs specific functions that the Mexican Constitution expresses;However, they do not work in isolation, they maintain necessary relationships that enrich their constitutional work.
Executive power. He is deposited in one person, the President of the Republic, who is elected in popular, direct, secret and majority way. Lasts 6 years in his position and can never play it again. Its main function is to execute the laws approved by the legislative bodies, that is, it is empowered to organize public administration in accordance with constitutional laws. To perform the functions that compete, the President of the Republic receives support from the Secretaries of State and other officials. Promulgate and execute the laws issued by the Congress of the Union, appoint the Secretaries of State, direct foreign policy and hold international treaties with the Senate approval, are some of the powers of the President of the Republic
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