Mexico: Government Structure

Mexico is organized as a federal presidential republic, with power divided among executive, legislative, and judicial branches and further distributed between a national government and thirty-two state governments. The 1917 Constitution serves as the country's foundational legal document, establishing this framework and enshrining a separation of powers designed to prevent the concentration of authority in any single branch.

The executive is headed by a president who serves as both head of state and head of government, elected by popular vote for a single six-year term with no possibility of re-election. The president appoints a cabinet to oversee federal departments and commands the armed forces. Legislative authority rests with the bicameral Congress of the Union, composed of the Senate, with 128 members serving six-year terms, and the Chamber of Deputies, with 500 members serving three-year terms. Congress is responsible for passing federal laws, approving the national budget, and ratifying treaties negotiated by the executive.

Judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court of Justice, along with a Council of the Federal Judiciary and a system of collegiate, unitary, and district courts that interpret federal law and resolve disputes between the states and the national government. Each of Mexico's thirty-two states maintains its own constitution, governor, and legislature, reflecting the federalist character of the broader system.