Chamber of Deputies of Mexico

The Chamber of Representatives (in Spanish: Cámara de Diputados) is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution. The Chamber of Representatives is composed of one federal representative (in Spanish: diputado federal) for every 200,000 citizens. Currently (as of 2006 election) there are 500 ... more

The Chamber of Representatives (in Spanish: Cámara de Diputados) is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution. The Chamber of Representatives is composed of one federal representative (in Spanish: diputado federal) for every 200,000 citizens. Currently (as of 2006 election) there are 500 representatives. Of these, 300 "majority representatives" are directly elected by plurality from single-member districts (Federal Electoral Districts). The remaining 200 "party representatives" are assigned through rules of proportional representation. These seats are not tied to districts; rather, they are allocated to parties based on each party's share of the national vote. The 200 party representatives are intended to counterbalance the sectional interests of the district-based representatives. The Chamber of Representatives is completely... less