Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917

Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917
Name	Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917
Ratified	1917
Effective	1917
Location	Querétaro
Language	Spanish language
Document type	Constitution

Contents

Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917 The 1917 constitution was promulgated in Querétaro during the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution to replace the Constitution of 1857 and to reconcile factions such as supporters of Venustiano Carranza, Álvaro Obregón, and Pancho Villa. It combined influences from European liberalism, socialism, and Porfirio Díaz-era reforms and shaped relations among institutions including the Constituent Congress (1917), the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, and state legislatures.

Background and drafting

The drafting process convened delegates from factions allied to Constitutionalist Party (Mexico), regional leaders from Chihuahua, Morelos, and Jalisco, and intellectuals linked to Justo Sierra and Lázaro Cárdenas influences, meeting in the context of treaties such as the Plan of Guadalupe and conflicts including the Battle of Celaya and the Battle of Torreón. Influential figures at the convention included Venustiano Carranza, Francisco I. Madero's legacy, jurists inspired by Hugo and Kant-influenced legal thought, and radicals associated with Ricardo Flores Magón and Emiliano Zapata; debates referenced precedents like the United States Constitution and the Constitution of 1857. The final text reflected compromises among proponents of land reform championed by Emiliano Zapata and proponents of labor rights associated with leaders such as Felix Díaz opponents and syndicalists shaped by events like the Cananea strike and the Río Blanco strike.

The constitution established principles including popular sovereignty influenced by Benito Juárez-era republicanism, separation of powers among the Executive of Mexico, the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico), and the Senate of the Republic (Mexico), and the role of the judiciary embodied in the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. It organized federal branches through articles that delineated functions of entities such as the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Mexico), the Secretariat of National Defense (Mexico), and municipal bodies like the Municipalities of Mexico; it drew on legal traditions from the Civil Code (Mexico) and constitutional doctrines linked to Hans Kelsen-inspired norms. The structure formalized in articles also addressed issues of public property and resources regulated under norms with echoes of Plutarco Elías Calles-era policies.

The charter expanded rights including guarantees for workers emerging from conflicts such as the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) and struggles involving organizations like the Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana and the Casa del Obrero Mundial. It codified labor protections inspired by strikes at Cananea and industrial disputes in Pachuca, including rights to organize, limitations on working hours, and provisions affecting agrarian communities tied to ejidos and reforms promoted by Emiliano Zapata and Lázaro Cárdenas. The constitution also addressed religious issues in reaction to the Cristero War and measures associated with Plutarco Elías Calles's anticlerical laws, articulating secularism influenced by Liberalism in Mexico and shaping relations with institutions such as the Catholic Church in Mexico.

The document reaffirmed a federal republic composed of federated entities like Chihuahua, Nuevo León, and Oaxaca, distributing authority between the President of Mexico and state governors, and defining competencies for federal organs including the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and fiscal entities linked to the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (Mexico). It regulated intergovernmental relations influenced by controversies under administrations of Porfirio Díaz and Venustiano Carranza, clarified municipal autonomy in towns such as Pátzcuaro and San Luis Potosí, and set rules for federal intervention and military presence as later tested during the Cristero War and interventions by figures like Plutarco Elías Calles and Miguel Alemán Valdés.

Since 1917 the text underwent significant reforms through amendments initiated by presidents including Lázaro Cárdenas, Miguel Alemán Valdés, and Carlos Salinas de Gortari; landmark changes affected articles on land policy, labor law, and energy overseen by entities like the Comisión Federal de Electricidad and the Petróleos Mexicanos. Reforms during the Cardenismo era expanded agrarian rights and reshaped institutions such as the National Agrarian Commission, while neoliberal adjustments under Carlos Salinas de Gortari altered provisions tied to foreign investment and relations with agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement. Judicial interpretation by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and jurisprudence from tribunals including the Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación further evolved constitutional application.

The constitution influenced political developments including the consolidation of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and state policies pursued by leaders from Plutarco Elías Calles to Lázaro Cárdenas and Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, shaped land redistribution in regions such as Morelos and Chiapas, and framed labor relations addressed by unions like the Confederación de Trabajadores de México. It also affected international relations with states like the United States during disputes over oil and with actors such as John Foster Dulles and corporations including Standard Oil and Royal Dutch Shell; domestically it catalyzed social movements including campesino uprisings, union struggles, and debates surrounding secular education promoted by figures like José Vasconcelos. The constitution’s legacy endures in contemporary institutions such as the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and the Congress of the Union (Mexico), and in ongoing disputes over natural resources, social rights, and federalism.

Category:Constitutions