Regime and Government Structure
Mexico is classified as this type of government system, where power is divided between a central government and state governments.
What is a federal system?
Mexico’s legislature is bicameral, consisting of these two chambers.
What are the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate?
This political party dominated Mexico for much of the 20th century, controlling the government from 1929 to 2000.
What is the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)?
Mexico’s economy has transitioned from a government-controlled model to this type of economic system, promoting free trade and privatization.
What is neoliberalism?
This major security challenge involves powerful organizations that traffic drugs and engage in violent conflict with the state.
What are drug cartels?
The Mexican Constitution of 1917 established this type of democracy, though it was not fully realized until the 2000s.
What is a presidential democracy?
This institution oversees elections in Mexico to ensure fairness and transparency, reducing electoral fraud.
What is the National Electoral Institute (INE)?
This right-leaning political party broke the PRI’s rule in 2000 with the election of Vicente Fox.
What is the National Action Party (PAN)?
This 1994 trade agreement between Mexico, the U.S., and Canada was replaced by the USMCA in 2020.
What is NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)?
Mexico’s political culture has historically relied on patron-client relationships, a system known as this.
What is clientelism?
Although Mexico has a presidential system, some argue that its past dominance by one party made it function as this type of democracy.
What is an illiberal democracy?
The judiciary in Mexico operates under this legal system, meaning laws are based on written codes rather than precedent.
What is a civil law system?
The left-wing MORENA party was founded by this politician, who became president in 2018.
Who is Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)?
Mexico has a high reliance on this economic sector, particularly state-owned PEMEX, which has struggled with corruption and inefficiency.
What is the oil industry?
The 1994 Zapatista uprising was largely in response to this economic policy, which indigenous groups argued harmed rural communities.
What is neoliberalism (or NAFTA)?
The executive branch in Mexico is led by this position, elected for a single six-year term with no reelection.
What is the president?
The Chamber of Deputies has this many members, with a mix of direct election and proportional representation.
What is 500?
Mexico uses this system for its legislature, combining single-member districts (SMD) and proportional representation (PR).
What is a mixed electoral system?
In response to rising violence, Mexico has increasingly relied on this institution for domestic security, despite concerns over human rights abuses.
What is the military?
Corruption is a persistent issue in Mexico, especially within this security institution, which has been accused of colluding with cartels.
What is the police (or military)?
Historically, Mexico’s power structure relied on this informal system where the outgoing president selected their successor.
What is the dedazo?
Unlike in the U.S., Mexico’s Supreme Court judges serve for this fixed term rather than a lifetime appointment.
What is 15 years?
In Mexico, the president is elected through this method, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins—without requiring a majority.
What is a plurality system (first-past-the-post)?
Mexico struggles with income inequality, often measured by this economic index, which tracks the gap between rich and poor.
What is the Gini coefficient?
This indigenous rights movement, which began with an armed uprising in 1994, continues to advocate for greater autonomy and protections for marginalized communities in southern Mexico.
What is the Zapatista (EZLN) movement?