The executive power is exercised by the president and his cabinet. The mandate of the First Magistrate (President) lasts for a six-year period and is a one time position - the President is not eligible for a second term.

Since the year 2000, the presidential position has been held by the National Action Party (PAN), firstly by Vicente Fox Quesada, the former president of the country, and currently by Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, the present leader of the Partido Accion Nacional - PAN (National Action Party).

The Legislative power is housed in the Congreso de la Union (Congress), which is divided into two parts: District representatives (Deputies) and State representatives (Senators).

The Judicial power is in the hands of the Suprema Corte de la Justicia (Supreme Court of Justice), which is made up of a total of 11 ministers elected by the country's Congress and holds power for 11 years, after which there is a new election process.

In Mexico there are three main political parties: the Partido Revolucionario Institucional - PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), the Partido Acción Nacional - PAN (National Action Party) and the Partido de la Revolución Democratica - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party).

The elections for the legislators of the lower house are held on a three-yearly basis; the federal deputies are the only elected functionaries who may be re-elected, all be it on a non-consecutive basis. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Senators (Upper House) is renewed on a six-year basis, in accordance with the presidential period.

The Lower House is made up of 300 majority deputies and 200 proportional representatives, while the Senate is made up of 128 legislators.