Mexico's Government Systems Through History

Mexico has experienced a remarkable sequence of governmental forms since the pre-Columbian era:

1. Aztec Empire (1428–1521) – Elective monarchy; emperor chosen by council of nobles; complex bureaucracy, law, tribute system.
2. Spanish Colonial Rule (1521–1821) – Viceroyalty of New Spain; viceroy appointed by Spanish crown; audiencia (high court), cabildos (town councils), Catholic Church dominance.
3. First Mexican Empire (1821–1823) – Agustín de Iturbide as constitutional emperor; short-lived, collapsed under republican pressure.
4. Federal Republic (1824–1835) – Constitution of 1824; separation of powers; bicameral congress; states' rights.
5. Centralist Republic (1835–1846) – "Siete Leyes" centralized power; states became departments; triggered Texas revolt, Yucatán secession.
6. Second Federal Republic (1846–present) – Restored federalism; Constitution of 1857 (liberal), 1917 (post-revolution, current); presidential system; 31 states + Mexico City; three branches; regular elections.

Despite coups, invasions (US 1846, France 1862), revolution (1910), and one-party dominance (PRI 1929–2000), the federal republican framework has endured since 1846.