The Government of Colombia is a
republic
A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
with
separation of powers
The separation of powers principle functionally differentiates several types of state (polity), state power (usually Legislature#Legislation, law-making, adjudication, and Executive (government)#Function, execution) and requires these operat ...
into executive, judicial and legislative branches.
Its legislature has
a congress,
its judiciary has
a supreme court, and
its executive branch has
a president.
The citizens of Colombia cast votes concerning their government, and they employ a ''public'' sector office for an
inspector general to oversee the
public interface of
the government. This safeguards the public, and guarantees the
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
spelled out in the ''
Constitution of 1991
The Political Constitution of Colombia of 1991 (), is the Constitution of the Republic of Colombia. It was promulgated in Constitutional Gazette number 114 on Sunday, July 7, 1991, and is also known as the Constitution of Human Rights. It rep ...
'', which provides the framework for a
welfare state
A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...
and a
unitary republic.
Colombia has "control institutions" that mix government and public officials, who work alongside one another. For example, the public's inspector general works closely with the
government's controller general, whose job it is to ensure governmental
fiscal responsibility. An independent
Ombudsman
An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
deals with maladministration complaints and functions.
Executive
The executive branch of power in Colombia is headed by the President of the Republic. He is supported by the Vice President of Colombia, the
Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
and Government entities of Colombia, Administrative Departments of Colombia. The government is in charge of creating and developing policies concerning Colombia, while the governors of the
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is a unitary state, unitary republic made up of thirty-two administrative divisions referred to as departments (Spanish language, Spanish: ''departamentos'', sing. ) and one Capital District (''Capital districts and territories, Distri ...
are elected by popular vote to represent the president and the executive branch of government.
Mayors are subordinated to the governors, who are the maximum representatives of the executive branch of government at a
municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the gov ...
level. Mayors are also elected in regional elections, along with the department governors.
In 2015, Colombia's Congress limited presidency to single term, preventing the president from seeking re-election.
In Colombia, reelections are not allowed, but they are given the four full years. In those four years, the president is head of the state and head of the government. The president is also commander-in-chief of armed forces and supreme administrative authority.
Legislative
The legislative branch is the branch that makes laws. Representatives are elected by the people and support their thoughts in government. The legislative branch is divided into two branches: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate consists of 114 members whereas the House of Representatives consists of 199 members. Despite being broken up into two branches, they must work together to make sure that they take control of their responsibilities.
Judiciary
The judiciary of Colombia (Spanish: Rama Judicial de Colombia) is a branch of the State of Colombia that interprets and applies the laws of Colombia, to ensure equal justice under law, and to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution. The judiciary comprises a hierarchical system of courts presided over by judges, magistrates and other adjudicators.
Colombia is a centralized state, thus there is only one jurisdiction (with the exception of special indigenous jurisdictions), which is functionally divided by subject matter into an ordinary, penal, administrative, disciplinary, constitutional and special jurisdictions (military,
peace
Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...
, and indigenous matters).
References
External links
*
Government of Colombia
{{South America topic, Government of, title=Governments of South America