Which term refers to informal networks in Mexican politics built on personal loyalty and patronage?

Which term refers to informal networks in Mexican politics built on personal loyalty and patronage?

• A. Camarillas
• B. Caudillos
• C. Ejidos
• D. Neo-Corporatism

Answer: (A)

Camarillas are informal networks of political insiders surrounding a leader, built on personal loyalty and patronage to secure access to jobs, resources, and favors. This setup helps the leader maintain power by rewarding trusted supporters and ensuring obedience within the group, often operating outside formal institutions. The other terms refer to different ideas: caudillos are regional strongmen who rely on personal authority and coercion, ejidos are a land-reform system of communal farmland, and neo-corporatism describes formal state negotiations with organized interest groups, not a personal loyalty network around a leader.

Camarillas are informal networks of political insiders surrounding a leader, built on personal loyalty and patronage to secure access to jobs, resources, and favors. This setup helps the leader maintain power by rewarding trusted supporters and ensuring obedience within the group, often operating outside formal institutions. The other terms refer to different ideas: caudillos are regional strongmen who rely on personal authority and coercion, ejidos are a land-reform system of communal farmland, and neo-corporatism describes formal state negotiations with organized interest groups, not a personal loyalty network around a leader.