Divergent Political Development: US Constitution vs. Mexican Instability

Key Insight

The United States adopted a constitution in 1787 that enshrined democratic principles, limited political power, and distributed it broadly, a culmination of a process beginning with the Jamestown General Assembly in 1619. In contrast, Mexico's constitutional path was shaped by a different legacy. The Spanish state's collapse during Napoleon's invasion (1808) led to the Cádiz Constitution of 1812, which advocated for a constitutional monarchy, popular sovereignty, and an end to special privileges. However, this was fiercely opposed by Latin American elites who benefited from the existing extractive colonial institutions.

In Mexico, the Hidalgo Revolt of 1810, perceived by elites as class warfare, solidified their opposition to popular political participation. When a more radical Spanish Cortes in 1820 proposed abolishing labor coercion and special privileges, Mexican elites, led by Augustín de Iturbide, declared independence in 1821 to protect their established economic and social order. Iturbide quickly became a dictator, dismissing the constitutionally sanctioned congress in 1822, setting a pattern of political instability and authoritarianism that would plague Mexico for decades.

The United States' constitution, while not a modern democracy (excluding women, slaves, and initially the propertyless white men), successfully managed internal conflicts like slavery through compromises like the three-fifths rule until the Civil War. This stability allowed for broad economic opportunities. Mexico, however, experienced almost nonstop political instability for its first fifty years of independence, exemplified by Antonio López de Santa Ana's eleven presidencies between 1833 and 1855. This instability led to insecure property rights, a weakened state unable to provide public services or raise taxes, and ultimately blocked economic incentives for the masses, contrasting sharply with the United States' progress towards industrialization.