Compare governments today: Brazil, Cuba and Mexico

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   How Mexico is governed (cards A to E, from the Constitution of Mexico in the English translation published by the Constitute Project, unless noted; summaries in our words except in quotation marks). Card A, Article 39: "The national sovereignty is vested, originally and essentially, in the people." Card B, Article 83 (cut marked): "The President will begin his tenure on October 1st and will last six years in office. The citizen who had performed as President of the Republic, … in no case and under any circumstances may perform again this position." Card C, history (in our words, from Britannica): Porfirio Díaz held the presidency for most of the years from 1876 to 1911. In October 1910 the opposition leader Francisco Madero issued the Plan of San Luis Potosí, which declared the 1910 election void and called for real voting and no reelection. Card D, Article 59 and a note: "Senators may be elected up to two consecutive periods and the deputies of the House of Representatives may be elected up to four consecutive periods." Senators serve six-year terms and deputies three-year terms. Before a reform published in 2014, legislators could not be reelected to the next term; that ban dated from 1933. Card E, the legislature: the 500-member House has 300 members elected from single-member districts by majority vote and 200 elected from regional party lists in proportion to the votes. The 128-member Senate has two senators from each of 32 units (31 states and Mexico City) elected by majority vote, one more from each unit for the party that came second, and 32 elected from a national list in proportion to the votes. The whole Senate is renewed every six years.

2. 1.

   A student writes: "Mexico bars all politicians from serving long." How strong is that claim, given cards B and D, Bo asks?

   • Strong: card B bars every office from reelection, so no politician in Mexico can serve long
   • Weak: card B allows the President unlimited terms, so politicians can serve for as long as they like
   • Strong: card D bars legislators from reelection, so no politician in Mexico can serve long
   • Weak: card D allows senators two and deputies four consecutive terms; card B covers only the presidency
3. 2.

   Card E says 200 of the House's 500 members are elected from party lists in proportion to the votes. What share is that, Esme asks?

   • 60 percent
   • 20 percent
   • The whole House
   • 40 percent
4. 3.

   Card E says 32 of the Senate's 128 seats come from a national list. What share is that, Jun asks?

   • 75 percent
   • 25 percent
   • 4 percent
   • 32 percent
5. 4.

   In card E, 200 House seats are shared out in proportion to votes. How does this help smaller parties compared with district seats alone, Kira asks?

   • It gives smaller parties a way to win seats even if they win few district races
   • It guarantees each party the same number of seats, however few votes the party wins
   • It lets the President pick the party lists' winners after the votes have been counted
   • It removes the need for elections, because the party lists are filled without any vote
6. 5.

   Which statement about reelection in Mexico do cards B and D best support, Luz asks?

   • No reelection of any kind is allowed in Mexico, whether for the President or for any senator or deputy
   • Reelection rules have never changed since 1933, so legislators still cannot be reelected
   • Legislators may be reelected for up to 12 consecutive years, but a former President may never serve again
   • Presidents may serve two six-year terms, which makes 12 years, and legislators only one term
7. 6.

   To learn what Madero himself wanted in 1910, which source is best, Milo asks?

   • The Plan of San Luis Potosí, which Madero issued in 1910
   • Article 83 of the current Constitution
   • A history of Mexico written in 2000
   • A speech by a Díaz official defending his government
8. 7.

   A student writes: "Article 39 puts sovereignty in the people, so Mexican officials always follow the people's will." How strong is that claim, Noah asks?

   • Overstated: Article 39 states a principle, but it does not show how officials act
   • Strong: a constitution's wording guarantees how officials act, so Article 39 settles the question
   • Weak: Article 39 says officials must ignore the people, since sovereignty rests elsewhere
   • Weak: Article 39 is not part of the Constitution, so it cannot be used as evidence about officials
9. 8.

   Which evidence would best show whether allowing reelection changed legislators' behavior, Ren asks?

   • Voting records and election results before and after 2018, compared
   • A newspaper summary of the reform printed in the weeks after the reform was published
   • The text of Article 59, which sets out how many terms legislators may serve
   • A speech praising the reform, given by one of the lawmakers who voted for it
10. 9.

    A student writes: "Mexico's Senate is chosen only by state-by-state majorities." How strong is that claim, given card E, Tala asks?

    • Weak: card E says the Senate is appointed, not elected, so no vote is held
    • Strong: card E says the 128 senators are elected by majority vote, state by state
    • Strong: card E says each state elects three senators by majority vote, state by state
    • Weak: card E says 32 of the 128 seats come from a national proportional list
11. 10.

    Card D says senators serve six-year terms and may be elected for up to two consecutive periods. At most how many consecutive years is that, Zee asks?

    • 24 years
    • 6 years
    • 12 years
    • 18 years