This book explores Mexico's foreign policy using the ‘principled pragmatism’ approach. It describes and explains main external actions from the country’s independence in the nineteenth century to Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. The principal argument is that Mexico has resorted to principled pragmatism due to geographic, historical, economic, security, and political reasons. In other words, the nation uses this instrument to deal with the United States, defend national interests, appease domestic groups, and promote economic growth.
The key characteristics of Mexico’s principled pragmatism in foreign policy are that the nation projects a double-edged diplomacy to cope with external and domestic challenges at the same time. This policy is mainly for domestic consumption, and it is also linked to the type of actors that are involved in the decision-making process and to the kind of topics included in the agenda. This principled pragmatism is related to the nature of the intention: principism is deliberate and pragmatism is forced; and this policy is used to increase Mexico’s international bargaining power.
Author(s): Rafael Velazquez-Flores
Series: Global Foreign Policy Studies
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 355
City: Cham
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of Acronyms
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: “Principled Pragmatism”: An Approach to Study Foreign Policy
Theoretical Approaches and Analytical Models to Study Foreign Policy
Realism in Foreign Policy: The Base of Pragmatism
Idealism in Foreign Policy: The Base of Principism
Analytical Models for Foreign Policy Analysis
Principled Pragmatism as a Theoretical Approach for Foreign Policy Analysis
Principled Pragmatism in Mexican Foreign Policy: Variables, Assumptions, and Methodology
Chapter 3: Mexico’s Foreign Policy in the Nineteenth Century: The Origins of Principled Pragmatism, 1821–1853
Domestic and External Variables
First Foreign Policy Steps: In Search of International Recognition and Promotion of National Interests
Latin America and European Recognitions: Solidarity and Rivalries
The Beginning of the US-Mexican Relationship: Cooperation and Conflict
Interventions, Invasions, and Territory Loss: The Origins of Mexican Principism in Foreign Policy
The Painful Loss of Texas
The War with France due to Unpaid Compensation Claims
The 1846–1848 Mexican-United States War: The Origin of National Resentment and the Basis for a Defensive and Nationalistic Foreign Policy
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 4: The “Reform” Period and the Porfirio Diaz Administration, 1853–1910: The Beginning of the Mexican Principled Pragmatism
Domestic and External Variables
Foreign Policy Under the “Reform” Period: Benito Juarez and the Liberal Fight Against Conservatives
The McLane-Ocampo Treaty: Geopolitical Issues and Juarez Pragmatism
External Debt and Compensation Claims: A Painful Issue for Mexico’s Foreign Policy
Mexico’s Position to the US Civil War: From Principism to Pragmatism
The Second French Invasion and the Maximilian Empire: A Dose of Principist Pragmatism
The Restored Republic
The “Porfiriato” Era: Mexico Opens Itself to the World: The Pragmatism at Work
US-Mexican Relationships: In Search of Recognitions, Border Problems, and Pragmatic Cooperation
Mexico and Its Neighbors
Mexico and the Spanish-American War of 1898
In Search of Diversification
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 5: The Revolutionary Phase and the Nationalistic Foreign Policy, 1910–1934
Domestic and External Variables
President Madero and the 1914 US Invasion
“Carranza” Doctrine and the New 1917 Constitution: The Bases of Mexico’s Principled Foreign Policy
Mexico and First World War
The 1917 Mexican Constitution and US Economic Interests
Pragmatism in the Alvaro Obregon Administration: US Recognition and the Bucareli Agreements
Plutarco Elias Calles and the “Maximato”: The Diplomatic Settlement with the US
The “Maximato” Period: 1928–1934
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 6: Pragmatism and Nationalism in Mexico’s Foreign Policy During the Cardenas Administration and the Second World War, 1934–1946
Principled Pragmatism and Nationalism in Cardenas’ Foreign Policy
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Mexico in the World, Participation in the League of Nations, and the Position Toward the Spanish Civil War
A Pragmatic Approach to an Old and Controversial Problem: the Expropriation of the Oil Companies
Mexico’s Position at the Beginning of the Second World War: Between Pragmatism and Principism
Mexico’s Foreign Policy During the Manuel Avila Administration
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Mexico’s Foreign Policy in the Second World War in the Avila Camacho Administration
Relations with Allies and Multilateral Policy
US-Mexican Relationships During the Second World War: A New Era of Pragmatic Cooperation
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 7: Principled Pragmatism in Mexico’s Foreign Policy During the First Years of the Cold War (1946–1970)
The Miguel Aleman Administration, 1946–1952: Pragmatic Cooperation with the United States
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Miguel Aleman’s Main Foreign Policy Actions
The Adolfo Ruiz Cortines Administration, 1952–1958: Mexico’s Isolation and Principism
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Ruiz Cortines’ Principal Foreign Policy Actions
The Principist Pragmatism of Adolfo Lopez Mateos in the Cuban Case, 1958–1964
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Lopez Mateos’ Main Foreign Policy Actions
The Cuban Issue: The Use of Principled Pragmatism
Gustavo Diaz’s Administration, 1964–1970: The Return to Isolation and Principism
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Diaz Ordaz’ Main Foreign Policy Actions
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 8: Activist Foreign Policy, Oil Impetus, and Economic Crisis (1970–1988)
“Third World” Foreign Policy and the “Ideological” Pluralism: The Echeverria Administration, 1970–1976
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Activism, Tercermundismo, and Ideological Pluralism: The Basis of Echeverria’s Foreign Policy
Oil Diplomacy and Economic Crisis Under the Jose Lopez Portillo Government, 1976–1982
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
The Continuation of an Activist Foreign Policy Based on Oil Diplomacy
The Financial Crisis and the New Model of Economic Development: The Years of Miguel de la Madrid, 1982–1988
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Economic Crisis, Structural Change, and a New Foreign Policy
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 9: Mexico’s Foreign Policy After the End of the Cold War: A New Neoliberal Economic Pragmatism, 1988–2000
Carlos Salinas de Gortari (1988–1994): The End of the Cold War, Economic Pragmatism and NAFTA
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Multilateral Policy in Salinas’ Administration: The Defense of Idealism
Bilateral Relations with the United States: The Road to NAFTA, the New Economic Pragmatism
Social, Political, and Security Issues in the Bilateral Agenda with the United States: Principled Pragmatism
Foreign Policy Toward Other Regions: Principled Pragmatism
Economic Issues and Pragmatism in Foreign Policy
Ernesto Zedillo and the 1994 Economic Crisis: The Need for a Pragmatic Stance
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Relations with Latin America: A Principled-Pragmatic Stance
Relations with the European Union: Principled Pragmatism and the Free Trade Agreement
Relations with Asia, Africa, and the Middle East: An Economic Perspective
Principled Pragmatism in Bilateral Interactions with the United States
Social and Security Issues
Chapter Analysis
Untitled
Chapter 10: Changes in the Political System and a New Principled-Pragmatic Foreign Policy, 2000–2018
Vicente Fox’s Administration, 2000-2006: A New Pragmatic Approach to the United States and a Principled Multilateralism
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Relationship with the United States: More Pragmatism than Principism
Latin America and the Caribbean: Solidarity and Diplomatic Crises
The Relationships with Europe and Asia: Principled Pragmatism
Multilateral Politics in the Fox Administration: A Principled Stance
Mexico’s Foreign Policy Under Felipe Calderon’s Administration, 2006-2012: Security and Principled Pragmatism
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Calderon’s First International Activities
Principled Pragmatism in the US Relationship: The President’s Priorities
Mexico’s Foreign Policy Toward Latin America: Mending Relations Through a Principled Posture
The case of Honduras: Between the Estrada Doctrine and the OAS Democratic Charter
Changes in the Legal Foreign Policy Framework: A Principled Perspective
Economic Integration: Continuity with the Principled Pragmatism
Multilateral Policy: A Principled Stance
Mexico’s Foreign Policy Under Enrique Peña Nieto’s Administration, 2012-2018
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Relations with North America: Barack Obama and Donald Trump
Relations with Latin America: Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights
Relations with Europe and Asia: Investments and Trade Diversification
Multilateral Policy and the Return to Peacekeeping Operations
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 11: Principled Pragmatism Under a Leftist Administration: The Foreign Policy of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
Domestic, External, and Individual Variables
Presidential Campaign and Foreign Policy Plan, 2018-2024
Mexico’s Foreign Policy Toward Latin America: The Pragmatic Defense of Principles and Regional Cooperation
Central America and Development Cooperation
Mexico’s Relationship with Other Regions: The Search for Soft Counterbalance and Economic Diversification
Europe: Diversification and Diplomatic Differences with Spain
Asia Pacific: Toward Greater Integration
Humanitarian Diplomacy and Multilateral Policy: Principism with a Dose of Pragmatism
Conflict and Cooperation in US-Mexican Relationship Under AMLO Administration: The Need of Principled Pragmatism
Pragmatic Stance on Trade: Toward a New USMCA
The Migration Issue: Source of Conflict and Cooperation
Security Issues: Threats and Cooperation
Joe Biden: The Start of a New Relationship?
Chapter Analysis
Chapter 12: Conclusions
Mexico’s Foreign Policy Chronology
References
Books
Official Documents
Journal Articles
Media Sources
Index
