Costa Rica: Politics and Governance

Costa Rica is a unitary presidential republic and one of Latin America's oldest continuous democracies, with a president elected to a four-year term and a unicameral Legislative Assembly, operating under the 1949 constitution.

Contemporary politics are shaped by the country's demilitarized status, strong environmental and conservation policy commitments, and a political culture generally regarded as stable relative to regional neighbors, alongside debates over fiscal policy and public sector reform.