Cultural Sidebar #8 - Costa Rican Government and Politics

Stemming from my background in international relations and my time in DC, I’m a political junkie and love discussing government. However, because of my role as a Peace Corps volunteer, I have to keep any commentary on the Costa Rican government objective, so that’s what I’ll try to do here.


Costa Rica is unequivocally the strongest consolidated democracy in Central America, something Ticos are incredibly proud of, and rightfully so. It is an incredibly peaceful country, one that seldom finds itself in war and eliminated its military in order to put more money into education. Costa Ricans boast that they have “an army of teachers”, something I referenced in a previous sidebar. Costa Rica is also home to a United Nations university, UPeace, and many regional companies. Additionally, Costa Rica has an incredibly robust welfare system. Citizens have access to the Caja, or social security system, and a really strong healthcare infrastructure. 


Rodrigo Chaves Robles is the incumbent president of Costa Rica. In general, his politics are perceived as skewing right-wing and populist, following similar voting trends to the rest of the world. He’s popular in my community. Presidential terms are for four years at a time. Presidents are permitted to serve more than one term but can only return to office 8 years following the conclusion of their first term. Costa Rica’s next Presidential election is set for 2026. Costa Rica has a single legislative body of 57 members. Unlike the United States, Costa Rica has several different political parties that have viability and win elections on both a national and local level. Politics here are competitive, but stable, making Costa Rica a great place to live and participate in democracy.

 


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