Politics of Mexico

Mexico has many leaders.

A president is the main leader. One president leads the land. A group of people helps the president. They work in three groups.

One group makes laws. Another group follows the laws. A third group helps with justice. Long ago, people fought for change. This led to a new set of rules. Now, many groups help pick the leaders.

This helps the people have a say.

Mexico is a republic. This means the people have a say in how they are ruled. The government has three main parts. The first part is the executive branch. The President leads this branch. The second part is the legislative branch. This is the Congress of the Union. It has two groups called the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The third part is the judicial branch. This part helps with justice.

In the past, things were very different. A war called the Mexican Revolution happened from 1910 to 1920. This led to a new set of rules in 1917. For a long time, one party called the PRI held almost all the power. This lasted for over 70 years.

Later, people wanted more change. In 1988, there was a very unfair election. To fix this, Mexico made a new group called the IFE in 1990. This group helps make sure elections are fair.

Now, many different parties compete. One big party is called Morena. It won the elections in 2018 and 2024.

Mexico is a federal presidential representative democratic republic. This means the people help choose their leaders through voting. The government is split into three main branches. The executive branch is led by the President. The President is both the head of state and the head of government. The legislative branch is called the Congress of the Union. It has two parts: the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Finally, the judicial branch handles justice. It includes the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. These rules were set by the Constitution of 1917. Each state in Mexico also has its own government.

History shows how these rules changed over time. The Mexican Revolution took place from 1910 to 1920. This happened after the rule of Porfirio Díaz ended. After the war, leaders like Alvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elías Calles held power. Calles helped start a political party in 1929 called the PNR. This party later became the PRI in 1946. Under President Lázaro Cárdenas, the party changed how it worked. It included groups for peasants and workers.

This period saw the government take control of the oil industry. They also gave land back to many peasants.

As years passed, people wanted more political freedom. In the late 1960s, students held many protests. This was because the PRI held so much power. Sadly, a violent event called the Tlatelolco Massacre happened in 1968. Later, in 1988, an election was held that many called fraudulent. Carlos Salinas de Gortari won that election against Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas. This event led to big changes in how Mexico votes. In 1989, a new party called the PRD was formed. This helped move the country toward more democracy.

To make elections fairer, Mexico created the IFE in 1990. This group was separate from the government. Later, it became the Instituto Nacional Electoral, or INE. The INE now oversees all federal elections.

Political parties must register with the INE to run. They also need to get at least 3% of the votes. Today, many parties compete, such as the PAN and Morena. In 2000, a president from the PAN was elected. This was the first time a non-PRI president won since 1929.

Voting in Mexico is a very important task. All citizens 18 or older can vote. The vote is secret and direct. This means people pick their leaders themselves. Most elections happen every six years. The President serves a six-year term.

People living in other countries can also vote. The INE works hard to keep the process organized. Even though some people still distrust results, many believe in the system. This system helps the people of Mexico participate in their own future.

Mexico is organized as a federal presidential representative democratic republic. This means the government represents the United Mexican States through a system of shared power. The federal government is divided into three distinct branches. The executive branch is led by the President of Mexico. The President serves as both the head of state and the head of government. This leader is advised by a cabinet of secretaries. This cabinet remains independent from the legislature.

The legislative branch is known as the Congress of the Union. It is a two-chamber legislature. It consists of the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies. The third branch is the judicial branch. This branch exercises judicial power through several different groups. These include the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. It also includes the Council of the Federal Judiciary. Other parts include collegiate, unitary, and district tribunals. All these branches were established by the Political Constitution of 1917.

Mexican politics changed greatly during the twentieth century. The Mexican Revolution took place between 1910 and 1920. This revolution followed the end of Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship. In 1920, a general named Alvaro Obregón overthrew the government. He became President of Mexico. He was later replaced by Plutarco Elías Calles, who ruled from 1924 to 1928. After Obregón was assassinated in 1928, a political crisis occurred. To create stability, Calles founded the Partido Nacional Revolucionario, or PNR. This was meant to help manage the transition between different presidents.

The political landscape shifted again under President Lázaro Cárdenas from 1934 to 1940. During his time, the party became the Partido de la Revolución Mexicana, or PRM. This party was organized on a corporate basis. It had specific divisions for peasants, labor, the popular sector, and the military. The PRM acted as an extension of the Mexican state. In 1946, the party transformed into the Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI. At this stage, the army was no longer a specific sector of the party. The government also nationalized the oil industry and redistributed land to peasants.

For many years, the PRI held almost hegemonic power. This means they had dominant control over the state and federal levels. However, people began to protest this authoritarian rule. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, students and left-wing groups held many protests. This tension led to the Tlatelolco Massacre in 1968. During this event, hundreds of protesters were killed. In 1988, the election of Carlos Salinas de Gortari was called fraudulent. This election was a turning point for the country. In 1989, members of the PRI formed the Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD, to challenge the leadership.

To build public confidence, Mexico moved toward a democratic transition. In 1990, the government created the Instituto Federal Electoral, or IFE. This took election administration away from the Ministry of the Interior. The IFE was later replaced by the Instituto Nacional Electoral, or INE. The INE is an autonomous institution. It organizes and oversees all federal electoral processes. Today, all political parties must register with the INE. They must also obtain at least 3% of the votes in federal elections to keep their registration.

Several major parties have shaped modern Mexico. The PRI dominated for over 70 years. The National Action Party, or PAN, was founded in 1939. The PAN won its first presidential municipality in 1947. In 2000, the PAN won the presidency, which was the first non-PRI president since 1929.

The PRD emerged as a third force after the 1988 elections. More recently, the National Regeneration Movement, or Morena, was founded in 2014. Morena won the elections in 2018 and 2024. While some citizens still distrust official results, many believe the system is fairer now.

Voting rules in Mexico are very specific. Suffrage is universal, free, secret, and direct. It is also compulsory for citizens aged 18 or older. There is no need for pre-registration because the identity document serves as a voting card. Presidential elections are held every six years. The President's term was recently changed from six years to five years and ten months. Legislative elections for the Senate happen every six years. The Chamber of Deputies is renewed every three years. These rules ensure that the people can participate in their democracy.