The Government in Chile

The country’s official name is Republic of Chile. It has a Representative Democracy, Presidential Regime type of government. The State is split into 3 distinct and independent branches: The Executive, Judiciary, and Legislature.

The Executive, headed by the President, has the power to introduce bills and promulgate laws; call plebiscites; submit constitutional amendments; appoint Cabinet members, Ambassadors and regional authorities, the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Supreme and Appellate court judges; and appoint and remove the Commanders in Chiefs of the Armed Forces. In addition, the President assumes the position of Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces during a war.

Legislature is represented by the bicameral National Congress, composed of the 120-member Chamber of Deputies and the 38-seat Senate with co-legislative and oversight powers. Senators serve for 8 years while deputies for 4 years. The Judiciary administers justice independently from the other branches of government. The highest tribunal is the Supreme Court, made up of 21 members, one of whom is elected president by his peers every three years. Since 2000, the Chilean government changed its criminal justice system – US-style adversarial system all throughout the country of which the final completion stage is implemented in Santiago.

Major political coalitions in Chile include the Independent Regional Force, Concert Parties for Democracy, Together We Can Do More, and the Alliance for Chile. The unions dominated the last Chilean presidential election in 2005.