Government of the United Mexican States SS6CG2 The student will explain the structures of national governments in Latin America & the Caribbean

SS6CG2 a. Compare the federal-republican systems of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil) and the United Mexican States (Mexico) to the dictatorship of the Republic of Cuba (Cuba), distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting & personal freedoms.

Government of Mexico The government of Mexico is a federal government. Power is divided between the central government and the state and local governments. Mexico is a presidential democracy. The citizens elect the president who can serve one 6 year term.

They also elect the members of the legislature, which is called the Congress. Citizens of Mexico have many freedoms, and they also have the right to vote. Men & women who are citizens aged 18 years or over may choose to vote. There are many political parties. Most parties have particular beliefs that

Attract followers. Others center on particular people. Mexico is a country that enjoys an average level of freedom compared to other countries in the world. The court system is managed by the central government, and is not totally independent of the president.

Quiz Yourself 1. What type of government exists in Mexico? a. communist b. monarchy c. parliamentary democracy d. presidential democracy

2. Which term describes how political power is distributed in Mexico? a. aristocratic government b. confederation government c. federal government d. unitary government

3. One way that Mexico’s government is different from the U. S 3. One way that Mexico’s government is different from the U.S. government is that a. the president is the chief executive b. the legislature is called the Congress c. citizens 18 years old and over may vote d. presidents can only serve one 6 year term