Government
Quick Facts
| Type of Government | Republic |
| System | Presidential Independent Executive, Legislature & Judiciary |
| Constitution | Approved 1980, reformed in 1989 and 2005 . |
| Admin Units | 13 regions with provincial & municipal divisions |
| Political Parties | Christian Democrats Party, National Renovation, Independent Democratic Union, Party for Democracy, Socialist Party and Radical Social Democrats Party |
| Suffrage | Universal at 18yrs Foreigners may vote after five years of legal permanent residency. |
The Institutions
Chile is one of the oldest democracies in America. The first National Congress was inaugurated on July 4, 1811. In 1833, the Constitution established the separation of branches of government and the election of the President and members of Congress by vote.
Chile has a presidential regime since its beginning. Executive power is vested in the President of the Republic, who acts as Head of State and Government. To be elected the President must gain a majority (50% plus one) of valid votes. The President is elected for a four-year period (2005`s reform) and there is no right of re-election for successive terms.
The current President is Ricardo Lagos. His term will end on March 11, 2006 . President Lagos heads the coalition known as the Concertración de Partidos por la Democracia (Coalition of Parties for Democracy) which comprises of Party for Democracy, Christian Democrats Party, Socialist Party, and Radical Social Democrats Party.
The Legislature (the National Congress), comprises the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and possesses co-legislative and oversight powers. Currently, the Chamber of Deputies is composed by 120 members elected by direct ballot on the 60 electoral districts and renewed every four years. The Senate is composed of 48 members elected by direct ballot on the 10 senatorial constituencies.
The Judiciary administers justice independently from the other branches of government and it is made up by the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal and local tribunals. The highest court is the Supreme Court, made up of 20 members, one of whom is elected President by his peers every three years. Its public prosecutors are chosen by the President of the Republic from a list of five names, submitted by the Supreme Court.
The President – A more productive, reliable and humane Chile
President Ricardo Lagos took office on March 11, 2000, with the declared aim that, by the bicentenary of Chile ’s independence in 2010, it would be a developed country and fully integrated into the modern world. Or, as he has often stated, ‘a more productive, reliable and humane Chile .
President Lagos – like his predecessors, Presidents Patricio Aylwin and Eduardo Frei – has implemented a development policy that emphasises equity and the creation of new opportunities for all the nation’s citizens, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. Since 1990, about 70% of the fiscal budget has gone into social expenditure including health care, education, and housing.
On March 11, 2003, in a mid-term review of his administration, President Lagos drew attention to the fact that poverty has decreased by 18% in the past 13 years, and quality of life now approaches that of developed nations. This was bourne out of results of the 2002 National Census.
In economic affairs, despite adverse international conditions, Chile has remained stable. GDP has risen 9.3% since President Lagos took office. Chile ’s international integration has taken a great step forward with the successful negotiation of Free Trade Agreements with the European Union, South Korea, and the United States in 2002, with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in March 2003 and with New Zealand, Singapore & Brunei at the beggining of 2005 and with the People`s Republic of China not so long ago.