Download Mexico*s Government

Stan West
Mexican President
Enrique Peña Nieto
Sole executive power is vested upon the President.
President is elected by first past the post plurality for a six
year term (sexenio) and cannot be reelected.
No vice president position so in case of absence or incapacity
of the president, the Congress of the Union will be
constituted as an electoral college and by absolute majority
will elect an interim president.
President appoints with approval of the Senate, Cabinet
members and other officers.
President’s job is to execute and enforce the laws and can
veto bills presented to him by the legislature.
Legislative body is called Congress of the Union
which is a bicameral congress composed of the
Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
Some of the most important powers of this Congress
include the right to pass laws, impose taxes, declare
war, approve national budget, and approve or reject
treaties made with foreign nations.
Congress of the Union
The lower house of the Congress of the Union.
The Chamber is composed of one representative for
every 200,000 citizens. There are currently 500
representatives.
Of these, 300 are “majority deputies” which are
elected by plurality and 200 are “party deputies” are
assigned by proportional representation.
Chamber of Deputies is completely replaced every 3
years.
Upper house of Mexico’s legislature.
Made up of 128 Senators.
In a senatorial race, each party nominates two
candidates to run who are elected by direct vote.
The party of the candidates that won the second
highest vote within the state then assigns a senator
to occupy the third seat.
Senators serve six year terms.
Mexico’s judiciary has been a separate branch of government
since independence.
Federal courts include the Supreme Court, with 21
magistrates, 32 circuit tribunals, and 98 district courts.
Supreme Court magistrates are appointed for life by the
president and approved by the Senate and can only be
removed through impeachment.
The other justices serve a six year term.
Supreme Court has original and appellate jurisdiction in the
civil, administrative, labor, and penal divisions.
Jury system not usually used in Mexico but judicial protection
is provided by the Writ of Amparo which allows people to
appeal to a federal court from a local court.
National Action Party(PAN)- a right center
party, member of the Christian Democracy.
Institutional Revolutionary Party(PRI)- the
dominating party at state, national, and
municipal levels for most of the 20th century.
Party of the Democratic Revolution(PRD) –
left- centrist party.
Benito Juárez
After Mexico gained independence in 1821,
there was a power struggle for the control of
the government.
In the 1850s, Benito Juárez became president
and led a movement for reform.
In 1857, a new constitution was written which
included a bill of rights and promised freedom
of speech and equality under the law. It also
ended slavery.
Emiliano Zapata
At the beginning of the 20th century, most
Mexicans didn’t own land. Many Mexicans
wanted to fight for reform.
Mexican Revolution lasted from 1910 to 1920.
Reformers wanted the government to break up
the haciendas.
Emiliano Zapata was the leader of the fight for
land reform and farmers rights.
A new constitution in 1917 promised to
distribute land more equally among Mexicans.