quick facts
Form of government:
Unitary Presidential Constitutional Republic
Executive branch:
President:
José Mujica
Vice President:
Danilo Astori
Legislative branch:
General Assembly:
Upper House (Chamber of Senators)
Lower House (Chamber of Deputies)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Appellate Tribunals
Courts of Record
Unitary Presidential Constitutional Republic
Executive branch:
President:
José Mujica
Vice President:
Danilo Astori
Legislative branch:
General Assembly:
Upper House (Chamber of Senators)
Lower House (Chamber of Deputies)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Appellate Tribunals
Courts of Record
constitutional framework
The government of Uruguay operates under the 1966 constitution, which has been amended several times following the period of military rule. In 1996, amendments to the constitution separated municipal and national elections and changed the balloting system for the presidential election.
In the executive branch there is the President, Council of Ministers, and the Vice President who serves as the president of the bicameral legislature. The President and Vice President serve five-year terms and may not be immediately reelected. If none of the candidates receives a majority vote in a presidential election, a runoff election is held to decide between the two leading candidates. The General Assembly includes 31 members in the Senate, 99 members in the Chamber of Representatives, and other members who are elected to five-year terms by direct popular vote.
In the executive branch there is the President, Council of Ministers, and the Vice President who serves as the president of the bicameral legislature. The President and Vice President serve five-year terms and may not be immediately reelected. If none of the candidates receives a majority vote in a presidential election, a runoff election is held to decide between the two leading candidates. The General Assembly includes 31 members in the Senate, 99 members in the Chamber of Representatives, and other members who are elected to five-year terms by direct popular vote.
local government
The country is divided into 19 departments, each of which has a departmental board (legislature) and a chief executive. The chief executive acts as a combined departmental governor and mayor for the department capital.
justice
The head of the judiciary branch is the Supreme Court, which includes five justices. The five justices are elected by the General Assembly to 10-year terms and are eligible for reelection five years after their previous term ends. The next-highest judicial level is the Appellate Tribunals, followed by the Courts of Record. The Appellate Tribunal judges are selected by the Supreme Court justices and confirmed by the Senate. Prison conditions are poor but better than those in other Latin American countries. Trials may last for years because of delays in the justice system.
political process
National officials in Uruguay are elected every five years. It is required for all Uruguayans ages 18 and older to vote. Elections have been secret and obligatory since 1918. Women have had the right to vote since 1932. The Electoral Court, which is composed of nine members, monitors local and national elections. Uruguay has a highly regarded system for tallying ballots.
political parties
The two traditional political parties are the Partido Colorado ("Red Party") and the Partido Blanco ("White Party"), or National Party. The Partido Colorado has had a liberal urban base while the Partido Blanco has been supported by the more conservative landowners. A third party, the leftist Frente Amplio ("Broad Front"), also called the Encuentro Progresista ("Progressive Encounter"), is a coalition of Christian democrats, socialists, communists, and dissident members of the two other parties.
economy
The gross national product (GNP) per capita of Uruguay is among the highest in Latin America. The nation has a large urban middle class and a relatively high standard of living. The standard of living has historically been based on earnings from agricultural exports, mainly wool and beef, which have been subject to fluctuations in the world market. Successive governments have encouraged domestic manufacturing and services, in order to reduce Uruguay's dependence on external trade. These services have become dynamic sectors of the economy.
The government operates a large number of corporations that produce electricity, refine imported petroleum, manufacture alcohol and cement, and process meat and fish. The government also controls the railways and the nation’s largest telephone company. However, there have been attempts to privatize state-owned companies since the 1990s.
The government operates a large number of corporations that produce electricity, refine imported petroleum, manufacture alcohol and cement, and process meat and fish. The government also controls the railways and the nation’s largest telephone company. However, there have been attempts to privatize state-owned companies since the 1990s.