The Congress of the Union (formally: Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos; English: General Congress of the United Mexican States) is the legislative branch of the Mexican government. It is a bicameral assembly; that is, composed of two chambers: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Its structure and responsibilities are defined in the Third Title, Second Chapter, Articles 50 to 79 of the 1917 Constitution.
The upper chamber is the Senate (Cámara de Senadores or Senado). It comprises 128 seats, 96 members are elected by direct popular vote for six-year terms; the other 32 seats are allocated based on proportional representation.
The lower house is the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados). It has 500 seats, 300 members are elected by popular vote to three-year terms; the other 200 seats are allocated according to proportional representation.
In keeping with the Mexican tradition of "no reelection," deputies and senators are not eligible to immediately succeed themselves. Thus, the Congress is one of the few democratically elected legislatures in the world that is completely renewed at each election.
Read more about Congress Of The Union: Permanent Committee, Term
Famous quotes containing the words congress and/or union:
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—Frances E. Willard 1839–1898, U.S. president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union 1879-1891, author, activist. The Woman’s Magazine, pp. 137-40 (January 1887)