ARGENTINA in BRIEF [ Back ] [ Next ]

Politics 

Cabinet  | Summary

Casa Rosada (Government House)

 CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER, PRESIDENT OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC

Summary

Argentina is a federal republic formed by 23 autonomous provinces and one autonomous city, the capital Buenos Aires.  The Executive Branch is headed by a president elected for a period of four years. The Argentine Constitution allows for one successive re-election. Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral legislature with a Lower Chamber (254 members representing the people) and a Senate (72 elected Senators representing the provinces and the autonomous capital city, 3 for each). The Judiciary is independent and the highest federal court is the Supreme Court, made up of nine judges.

Each of the provinces has its own government and courts.  While substantive law is largely the same at both the federal and provincial levels, procedure may vary in provincial courts.  Under Argentina’s constitution, the provinces delegate to the federal legislature the power to enact laws of national scope governing civil and commercial issues, foreign relations, defence and other matters. 

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