OCTOBER 2013

VOL 1 ISSUE 1

Government System of Costa Rica

Background
Costa Rica has been a Democratic Republic since 1889. After it gained independence from Spain, it became a country and then adopted the Democratic way of government. In 2010, Costa Rica elected their first female president Laura Chinchilla (picture to the right). This was prominent step for the women in the country and the country as a whole. Costa Rica did not live up to its name at one point, but the tides have turned and they have been a successful, affluent country and have been able to focus on democracy and equality more than other countries due to their lack of military.

Democracy
The President and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies are elected every four years. The magistrates in the judicial branch serve 8year terms. The mayors within the country are elected by popular vote in general elections every 4 years.

Political Parties
There are four main political parties within the country, including: National Liberation Party (PLN), Citizen Action Party (PAC), and Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC). The National Liberation Party has 23 seats in the Legislative Assembly and is the affiliated party of Laura Chinchilla.

Checks and Balances

Costa Rica has three branches of government: Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. The countrys center of power is the president, currently Laura Chinchilla. There are two vice presidents, a 20+ member cabinet, and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies. The Judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court Justice and 22 other magistrates. A commonality seems to be that those who have experience in a specific field have power in that area; whereas, in places like America a person could have a degree in law or business and branch out into various career fields.

Resources
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://costaricainformation.com/about-costarica/politics-and-government/majorpolitical-parties-1 (n.d.). Retrieved from http://globaledge.msu.edu/Countries/Co sta-Rica/government