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Who decides what: Mexico.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United States · United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · India · Philippines · Argentina.

On your phone? Tap any address to open it. After the session: where to go next. Short address for this sheet: moraph.org/s/who-decides-what/mx. Pass it on: cards to hand to someone.

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Who decides what: Mexico

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/who-decides-what

Government comes in layers, and each one handles different things. This sheet helps you work out who decides an issue where you live, and how to check.

The layers

  • National government handles matters for the whole country.
  • Many countries also have states, provinces or regions.
  • Local councils run the services you see every day, sometimes in more than one tier.
  • Special bodies may run schools, water, transport or libraries.

Who does what

  • Elected members set policy and approve budgets.
  • Staff run services and can explain how things work now.
  • To change something, contact elected members. To understand something, start with staff.

Finding out who decides

  • Start with your local government’s website.
  • Ask: who decides this, and when will it next be discussed?
  • Ask in writing and keep the reply.

Voting

  • For registration, deadlines and polling places, use only your official election office.
  • Don’t rely on messages, posts or calls for voting information.

In Mexico

  • A federal republic. Mexico is a federal republic made up of 31 states and Mexico City. Each state is divided into municipalities (municipios), the base of its political and administrative organization.
  • Federal government. Federal power is divided into legislative, executive and judicial branches. Congress has two chambers: the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados), elected in full every three years, and the Senate (Cámara de Senadores).
  • The ayuntamiento. Each municipality is governed by an ayuntamiento (municipal council) elected by direct popular vote: a municipal president, a síndico (trustee) and regidores (council members). It approves local rules (bandos) and regulations for its area.
  • Municipal services. The Constitution makes municipalities responsible for services such as drinking water, drainage and wastewater, street lighting, rubbish collection, markets, cemeteries, streets, parks and gardens, and preventive police and traffic.
  • Rules vary by state. Each state congress passes the law that sets out how its municipalities are organized, often a Ley Orgánica Municipal. In Mexico City, alcaldías govern the city’s territorial districts.
  • Voting questions. The Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) runs federal elections and issues the voter ID card (credencial para votar). Each state has its own local electoral institute, a separate authority, which organizes elections for governor, the state congress and ayuntamientos.

Official places to check:

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 22 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/who-decides-what Version of .

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