A Brief Overview of Mexican Government

From the Economist Intelligence Unit, here are some basics about Mexican Government that every investor should know (maybe memorize too).

Elections: The Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional -- PRI) ruled Mexico for 71 years until Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional -- PAN) won the July 2000 presidential election. Presidential elections were held on July 2nd 2006, and Felipe Calderon of the PAN won the race by a thin margin over Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the left-leaning Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica -- PRD). The next presidential election will be held in July 2012.

Government: Mexico has a presidential form of government, with the head of state elected every six years. Mr Calderon heads a minority government, following a poor showing in the July 2009 mid-term elections. The bicameral Congress is made up of a 500-member Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and a 128-member Senate. (Both bodies have members elected from individual districts and through proportional representation.)

Political parties: The main parties include National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional -- PAN), Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional -- PRI) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica -- PRD). Others include Green Ecological Party of Mexico (Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico -- PVEM), Workers Party (Partido del Trabajo -- PT) and Partido Nueva Alianza (Panal).

Fiscal year: January 1st-December 31st.