Argentina

V

Government

According to the constitution of 1853, Argentina is a federal republic headed by a president, who is assisted by a council of ministers. Legislative powers are vested in a national congress consisting of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. A new constitution was passed in 1949, only to be rescinded in 1956. All constitutional provisions were suspended in 1966 following a military takeover. After another military coup in 1976, the constitution of 1853 was again suspended, but it was reinstated when Argentina returned to civilian rule in 1983.

A

Executive and Legislature

The constitution of 1853, in the preamble and in much of the text, reflects the ideals and aims of the constitution of the United States. The president and vice-president each serve for a four-year term. From 1976 to 1983, when constitutional government resumed, the Junta Militar, comprising the military chiefs of staff, was the supreme organ of state, with the power of appointing and dismissing the president.

The constitution of 1853 permits the suspension of parliamentary government and civil liberties should the president deem that a national emergency requires a “state of siege”. This provision has been invoked frequently in Argentine history.

The Argentine National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of a lower chamber, the 257-member Chamber of Deputies of the Nation (Cámara de Diputados de la Nación), and an upper chamber, the 72-member Senate (Senado). Deputies are directly elected to four-year terms; senators to terms of six years. The president is elected directly by the electorate for a renewable four-year term. All citizens 18 years of age or older are expected to vote. Proportional representation in national elections was initiated in 1962.

B

Political Parties

There is a significant number of political parties in Argentina but two main parties dominate the political process. They are the Justicialist Party (PJ; Partido Justicialista; commonly known as the Peronists) and the Radical Civic Union (UCR; Unión Cívica Radical). Many other alliances and coalitions form. Particularly successful in recent years have been the Front For a Country in Solidarity (FrePaSo; Frente por un País Solidario), the Front for Victory Alliance (FPV; Frente para la Victoria; the party of the president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner), and the Alternative for a Republic of Equals (ARI; Alternativa por una República de Iguales).

C

Local Government

Under the constitution, the provinces of Argentina elect their own governors and legislatures. During periods when the constitution has been suspended, provincial governors have been appointed by the central government.

Argentina comprises 23 provinces, the self-governing Federal District, which consists of the city of Buenos Aires and several suburbs, the Argentine-claimed sector of Antarctica, and several South Atlantic islands. Tierra del Fuego, which was formerly designated a national territory, became a province in 1993.

The provinces are grouped into five major areas: the Atlantic Coastal, or Littoral, provinces, comprising Buenos Aires (excluding the city of Buenos Aires), Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Misiones, and Santa Fe; the Northern provinces, comprising Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán; the Central provinces, comprising Córdoba, La Pampa, and San Luis; the provinces of the Andes, or Andina, comprising Catamarca, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, and San Juan; and the Patagonian provinces, comprising Chubut, Río Negro, and Santa Cruz.

A number of nations do not recognize the Argentine claim to the vast sector of Antarctica, between longitude 25° West and 74° West, and to a number of South Atlantic islands.

D

Judiciary

Federal courts include the supreme court, 17 appellate courts, and district and territorial courts on the local levels. The provincial court systems are similarly organized, comprising supreme, appellate, and lower courts.