Paraguay: Government Structure

Paraguay operates as a presidential representative democratic republic under the National Constitution adopted in 1992, following the end of the Stroessner dictatorship the previous year. The document established a formal separation of powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches and has been amended several times since, most notably in 2011 and 2014. A president serves as both head of state and head of government, elected to a single five-year term with no possibility of immediate re-election, a provision intended to prevent the kind of prolonged one-man rule the country experienced for much of the twentieth century.

Legislative authority rests with the bicameral National Congress, composed of an 80-member Chamber of Deputies and a 45-member Chamber of Senators, both elected for five-year terms through proportional representation. Deputies represent Paraguay's departments, while senators are elected nationally, giving the upper chamber a broader constituency. Congress reviews and passes legislation proposed by the executive or by its own members, ratifies international treaties, and can initiate impeachment proceedings against the president and other senior officials.

Judicial power is held by the Supreme Court of Justice, whose nine members are appointed for five-year terms through a process involving the Senate and the executive branch, based on nominations from an independent Council of Magistracy. Below the Supreme Court sits a network of appellate and lower courts handling civil, criminal, and administrative matters. Paraguay's departments and municipalities also maintain elected governors and mayors, giving the country a degree of decentralized administration alongside its national institutions.