Mexico

1. Mexico Political Institutions

2. Legislative Branch Executive Branch and Agencies Judicial Branch Elects Appoints Nominates Federal Electoral Institute Chamber of Deputies Elects by 2/3rds vote Federal districts and circuit judges Local and State Government Cabinet Senate Judicial Council Appoints one Governors Appoints two President Appoints four Nominates three Mayors and Municipal Councils Supreme Court Nominates three Attorney General Electoral Court State Legislatures Elects by 2/3rds vote Voters

3. Federalism and the Constitution

4. Legislative Branch: Congress • Divided into an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies • Holds two sessions a year: • The first session begins on November 1 and ends on December 31 • The second session begins in April 15 and ends on July 15 • Permanent Committee of 18 Senators and 19 Deputies

5. Legislative Branch: The Senate • The Senate is the upper-house of the Congress Winning Party Sends 2 candidates Senate Closed National List National Action Party (PAN) Voters in Sonora Sends 1 candidate Runner-up Party Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Sends 1 candidate • 4 Senators from each state x 32 states= 128 total Senators

6. Legislative Branch: The Senate • Powers of the Senate include: • Exclusive ability to oversee foreign affairs • Power to remove state governors and depose state legislatures • Confirm presidential appointments

7. Legislative Branch: The Chamber of Deputies • The Chamber of Deputies is the lower-house of the Congress • It is comprised of 500 members • 300 members are elected by plurality in single-member districts • The additional 200 members are elected by proportional representation in five regional closed lists • Powers include: • Addressing all matters pertaining to the government’s budget and public expenditures • Approves appropriations legislation • In cases of impeachment, the Chamber has the power to prosecute

8. Executive Branch: The President • Serves for one six-year term, and cannot be re-elected • Powers include: • Right to appoint Cabinet members and Ambassadors • Supreme power over navy, army, and air force • Right to nominate Supreme Court Justices • Power to issue decrees and veto bills

9. Judiciary Branch • The Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the land, followed by the Circuit Courts and then the District Court • The Supreme Court consists of the President of the Supreme Court and ten Ministers, who serve for life

10. Political Parties National Action Party Institutional Revolutionary Party Party of the Democratic Revolution

11. Political Parties: PRI • Former ruling party • No clear ideology • Typical voters: Small town or rural, less educated, older and poorer

12. Political Parties: PAN • Established in 1939 • Generally conservative ideology • Typical voters: Usually from the north, middle-class, urban, better educated, religious

13. Political Parties: PRD • Founded in 1989 by former PRI members • Created out of a lost of trust in the dominant PRI party • Typical voters: Younger and more politically active, from the central states, some education, small town or urban

14. Military • Called the Mexican Armed Forces • Three main missions: • Prepare to expel external aggressions • Prepare to protect the internal security of the country • Prepare to defend civilian population against natural disasters

15. Media • Under PRI control, Mexico’s media had little power to openly criticize the government • When PRI began losing power in the 80s, the media became more independent

16. Elite Recruitment • Capitalinos: People born and raised in Mexico City • Tecnicos: Foreign trained experts, usually in economics, with careers built in the bureaucracy instead of party ranks or elected posts

17. PAN Site The Astro Wilson Center COHA IFE Presidencia Site InfoPlease Works Cited • LA Times Online • Encyclopedia Britannica • JSTOR • NY Times • Congress of the Union Site • Huffington Post • Economist • MexConnect