Government

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy with an elected president. The country has a two-house legislature—the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, which makes the country’s laws. The Senate is the smaller house, which has 81 members who serve six-year terms. One-third of the senators are elected by voters every two years. The Chamber of Deputies is the larger house, which has 200 members who are elected to four-year terms. The Parliament elects a president for five years, who serves as head of state. The head of government is the prime minister, who oversees its day-to-day operations. He is appointed by the president with the approval of the Chamber. The prime minister selects a cabinet to assist in the executive functions of the government.

The Czech Republic is divided into fourteen regions. Prague is the nation’s largest city and forms one of these regions. An elected assembly governs each region. Cities, towns, and villages also have their own local governments.

The Czech Republic has many political parties. The Civic Democratic Party, which is a moderately conservative party, and the Czech Social Democratic Party, whose members are moderately liberal are the two leading parties. Other political parties include the Christian Democratic Union-Czech People's Party, the Communist Party, and the Freedom Union. The voting age for all Czech citizens is 18 years and older.

The highest court in the Czech Republic is the Supreme Court. The Czech Republic also has a constitutional court and high, regional, and district courts.