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| Politics of Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Name | United Mexican States political system |
| Caption | Flag of Mexico |
| Type | Federal presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of 1917 |
| Legislature | Congress of the Union |
| Upper house | Senate of the Republic |
| Lower house | Chamber of Deputies |
| Head of state | President of Mexico |
| Capital | Mexico City |
Politics of Mexico Mexico's political system is organized under the Constitution of 1917 as a federal presidential republic with a separation of powers among the Senate of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of Mexico. The modern Mexican polity evolved through conflicts such as the Mexican Revolution and reforms associated with leaders like Venustiano Carranza and Lázaro Cárdenas, shaping institutions including the Instituto Nacional Electoral and judicial bodies such as the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. Mexico's political landscape involves national actors like the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the National Action Party, and the Party of the Democratic Revolution, as well as states such as Jalisco and Chiapas and municipalities like Tijuana.
Post-independence Mexico experienced regimes from the Second Mexican Empire under Maximilian I of Mexico to the liberal era of Benito Juárez and the Porfiriato of Porfirio Díaz, culminating in the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). The revolutionary period produced the Constitution of 1917 and political consolidation through the creation of the Partido Nacional Revolucionario that later became the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Mid-20th-century policies under presidents such as Lázaro Cárdenas implemented land reform and nationalization actions like the expropriation tied to Petróleos Mexicanos. The late 20th century saw democratization events including the contested 1988 presidential election involving Carlos Salinas de Gortari and the 2000 transition when Vicente Fox of the National Action Party ended decades of single-party dominance. Recent decades include security crises linked to cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and reforms promoted during administrations of Felipe Calderón, Enrique Peña Nieto, and Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The Constitution of 1917 establishes federalism, separation of powers, and social rights; significant amendments include the 1992 constitutional reforms and energy reform under Enrique Peña Nieto. The legal order features bodies like the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, the Federal Electoral Tribunal, and autonomous agencies such as the Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos. Key laws include the Ley General de Instituciones y Procedimientos Electorales and the Ley de Amparo, while jurisprudence is shaped by rulings in cases involving figures like Diego Fernández de Cevallos and entities such as Petróleos Mexicanos.
Executive power is vested in the President of Mexico, elected by popular vote for a six-year term (sexenio) without reelection; notable presidents include Lázaro Cárdenas, Miguel de la Madrid, and Carlos Salinas de Gortari. The bicameral legislature, the Congress of the Union, comprises the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies with members from parties including the Institutional Revolutionary Party, National Action Party, and MORENA. The judiciary is led by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and lower federal tribunals; legal actors include the Attorney General of Mexico and state judicial councils in entities such as Nuevo León and Oaxaca.
Major parties include MORENA, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the National Action Party, and the Party of the Democratic Revolution; coalitions like Juntos Haremos Historia and Por México al Frente have contested national contests. The Instituto Nacional Electoral administers federal elections; landmark contests include the 2006 election involving Felipe Calderón and Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the 2018 victory of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Electoral mechanisms feature proportional representation lists, plurinominal deputies, and single-member districts as seen in campaigns in Mexico City and Veracruz.
Mexico's federation comprises 31 states and the Federal District reconstituted as Mexico City; states like Chihuahua and Guerrero exercise autonomy over police and education. Governors such as those from Jalisco and municipal presidents in cities like Monterrey shape local policy, while intergovernmental relations involve the National Conference of Governors and fiscal arrangements influenced by the Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público. Regional dynamics include indigenous movements in Chiapas and resource disputes in regions like the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Policy debates center on energy reform concerning Petróleos Mexicanos and the role of private investment, security policy addressing cartel violence linked to the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, and social policy over programs such as Prospera. Economic strategies interact with trade agreements like the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement and institutions such as the Banco de México. Environmental issues involve conservation areas like the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and responses to disasters such as the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
Mexico maintains diplomatic relations via the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores and participates in organizations like the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Bilateral ties with the United States and disputes over migration and trade shape policy, while security cooperation involves initiatives with the United States Southern Command and multilateral efforts against transnational crime implicating cartels like the Juárez Cartel. Mexico's foreign policy traditions reference the Estrada Doctrine and engagement in peacekeeping and climate talks such as the Conference of the Parties.
Political culture includes civic mobilization through movements like the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and protests following events such as the Ayotzinapa case; civil society organizations include human rights groups like Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez and labor unions such as the Confederation of Mexican Workers. Media outlets including El Universal and Televisa influence public debate, while academic institutions like the National Autonomous University of Mexico contribute research and activism. Voter participation trends, corruption scandals involving officials such as Javier Duarte de Ochoa, and reform efforts by actors like Alejandro Gertz Manero continue to shape Mexico's civic landscape.