trito Federal (federal district), which is the seat of the federal administration. The national executive power is vested in a president, who must be Mexican-born and the child of a native Mexican. The president is popularly elected for a six-year term and may never be reelected. The president appoints the cabinet, which is confirmed by the congress. The legislative power in Mexico consists of the senate and the chamber of deputies. The upper house is a senate, with 64 members popularly elected for six years. Two senators are elected from each state and from the federal district. The lower house is a chamber of deputies, made up of 500 members elected to 3-year terms. Three hundred are elected from single-member districts based on population, and the remainder are elected according to a system of proportional representation. Senators and deputies may not serve two consecutive terms. The highest tribunal in Mexico is the supreme court of justice, made up of 21 full-time members appointed by the country's president with the consent of the senate. Other important judicial bodies in Mexico include circuit courts and district courts. The chief executive of each state is a governor, popularly elected to a six-year term. The governor of the federal district is appointed by the president of Mexico. Legislative power in the states is vested in chambers of deputies, whose members are elected to three-year terms. The Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party; PRI) is the largest and most important political party in Mexico. It was formed in 1928 as the Partido Nacional Revolucionario (National Revolutionary Party) and has been continuously in power since that time, although under several different names. Opposition parties exist, but not until the 1980's did they represent a serious challenge to the PRI. Chief among them is the Partido de Accin Nacional (National Action Party; PAN), a conservative, pro-Catholic group ...
