Brazilian President vs Mexican President

Latin America's two largest presidential democracies share a common regime type but differ sharply on re-election, term length, party systems, and the relationship between the executive and congress.

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President of Brazil

Head of state and head of government of Brazil. Elected by direct popular vote to four-year terms.

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🇧🇷 BR· Term: 4 years· Head of state and head of government

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President of Mexico

Head of state and head of government of Mexico. Elected by direct popular vote to a single six-year term.

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🇲🇽 MX· Term: 6 years (non-renewable)· Head of state and head of government

Term structure and re-election

Brazil's president serves a four-year term and may seek one consecutive re-election. Mexico's president serves a single six-year term with no possibility of re-election ever, a rule rooted in revolutionary-era opposition to dictatorship.

Party systems and coalition building

Brazil has one of the world's most fragmented party systems, regularly requiring presidents to build coalitions across a dozen or more parties in Congress. Mexico's system is more concentrated, and Morena's recent dominance has given the president a more unified legislative base than most Brazilian presidents ever achieve.

Federalism and subnational power

Both are federal systems, but Brazil's governors and state assemblies exercise more autonomous power, especially over fiscal policy and policing. Mexico's states are constitutionally strong but have historically operated within a more centralized political culture.

Impeachment and accountability

Brazil has used impeachment to remove two presidents in its recent democratic history, making it a live institutional tool. Mexico's presidential immunity during the term and the six-year non-renewable mandate create a different accountability dynamic where the lame-duck effect is built into the system.