Executive: From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, executive power in Uruguay was held by a president elected by the Council of the Nation, a body composed of the Council of State (the legislature) and 25 high-ranking military officers. The electoral system restored in 1984 provides for a president chosen by universal suffrage for a five-year term.

Legislature: The Urauguayan legislature consists of a Chamber of Deputies, which has 99 members, and a Senate, with 30 members. Elected by popular vote, the legislature serves a five-year term.

Political Parties: Uruguay has essentially a two-party system, dominated by the National (Blanco) party and the Colorado party. The Communist party was legalized in Uruguay in 1985. A third national party, known as the Broad Front, grew in popularity in the 1990s. Including communist and socialist views in its party platform, the Broad Front replaced the Colorados as the party of the left and won nearly 31 percent of the vote in the 1994 elections. The more centrist Colorados won more than 32 percent, and the National Party, generally conservative and Roman Catholic, won about 31 percent.

Local Government: Uruguay is divided into 19 administrative departments. Each department has an administrator appointed by the central government.

Judiciary: In 1977 the judiciary was placed under the direct control of the central government. The highest court, the Court of Justice, has five members, appointed by the executive to serve five-year terms. The administrative courts hear cases involving the functioning of state administration. Lower courts consist of 19 civil courts and 10 criminal and correctional courts in Montevideo, and departmental courts in the departmental capitals and other large towns.

Health and Welfare: The ministry of public health and its various appointed commissions have established health centers and clinics, checked the incidence of tuberculosis, and lowered the infant-mortality rate. In the late 1980s Uruguay had about 6680 physicians and more than 23,000 hospital beds. Life expectancy at birth in the early 1990s averaged 77 years for women and 70 for men. The country is noted for its advanced social-welfare programs; coverage includes accidents, occupational illnesses, sickness, old age, maternity, and child welfare. A special fund issues grants to families; and laws have been passed to protect women and minors in employment.

Defense: In the early 1990s Uruguay had an active volunteer army of about 17,200 soldiers. The navy and air force were small, having forces of, respectively, 4500 and 3000. Military service is not compulsory.