Secretariat of the Interior facts for kids
| Secretaría de Gobernación | |
logo of the Secretariat of Home Affairs
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 Head Office of the Interior |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1853 |
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| Jurisdiction | Mexico |
| Headquarters | Abraham González 49 Juárez 06600 Juárez, Mexico City 19°25′52″N 99°09′11″W / 19.43111°N 99.15306°W |
| Agency executive |
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| Child agencies |
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| Key document |
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| Website | http://www.segob.gob.mx |
The Mexican Secretariat for Home Affairs (called Secretaría de Gobernación or SEGOB in Spanish) is a very important part of the Mexican government. It handles many things that happen inside the country. Think of it as the main office for keeping Mexico running smoothly and safely.
This department helps the President with new laws. It makes sure these laws are presented to the Congress and then officially published. It also deals with important national security matters. Mexico's main intelligence agency, CISEN, works directly under the Secretary of the Interior.
The Secretary of the Interior is a key member of the President's team, called the Cabinet. This job is so important that if the President cannot do their job, the Secretary of the Interior can temporarily take over. This department is similar to "Ministries of the Interior" in many other countries around the world.
Contents
History of the Secretariat
The idea for this important government office started way back in 1821. Mexico had just become independent, and leaders needed to organize the country. They created an office called The Office for Domestic and Foreign Affairs. Its job was to manage how the government worked in general.
The first person to lead this office was José Manuel de Herrera. He worked there from 1821 to 1823. Over time, the government grew, and different jobs needed their own specific departments. So, in 1843, the 'Office for Home Affairs' was created. It changed names a few times, but in 1853, it was officially named the 'Office for Home Affairs' again, which is still its name today.
Today, the Secretariat for Home Affairs focuses on making sure the Mexican Federal Government's rules and plans are followed correctly across the country. Its roots go back to the 1812 Spanish Constitution, which mentioned similar roles for managing the country. Later, the 1814 Apatzingán Constitution for Mexico also planned for an Executive Branch with a Department for Home Affairs.
Why This Job Is Important
The Secretary of the Interior has historically been seen as a very powerful position. Many people who held this job later became candidates for President of Mexico. This happened with presidents like Plutarco Elías Calles, Lázaro Cárdenas, and Miguel Alemán Valdés.
For example, Francisco Labastida, who was Secretary of the Interior, was a top choice to become president in 2000. However, he lost to Vicente Fox. Later, Fox's Secretary of the Interior, Santiago Creel, also tried to become president but was not chosen by his party. This shows how this role is often a stepping stone for future leaders.
What the Secretariat Does
The Secretariat for Home Affairs has many important responsibilities. Here are some of its main jobs:
- It helps the President present new laws or ideas to the Congress.
- It makes sure all new laws, rules, and official decisions are published in the Official Journal of the Federation. This is like a public newspaper for government announcements.
- It manages and publishes the Official Journal of the Federation.
- It handles the National Personal Identification Service, which helps with official IDs for people.
- It manages the process for people who are not Mexican citizens to leave the country if needed.
- It takes care of federal islands, which are islands that belong to the national government.
- It guides the country's internal policies that are not handled by other government departments.
- It checks that government authorities follow the rules in the Mexican Constitution, especially those about people's rights.
- It manages the government's relationships with other parts of the government, like the Congress, state governments, and cities.
- It works with political parties, social groups, and religious organizations.
- It helps strengthen Mexico's democratic system and encourages citizens to participate in politics.
- It makes sure that religious groups and churches follow the laws.
- It manages the National Archive, which stores important historical documents. It also makes sure that public information is available to everyone.
- Through its General Directorate of Radio, Television and Cinematography, it makes sure that what is published in newspapers, shown on TV, or in movies respects privacy and public morals.
- It regulates and oversees gambling, lotteries, and raffles.
- It works with state and city governments to create plans for civil protection. This includes preparing for, helping during, and recovering from disasters like earthquakes or floods.
- It runs a system that gathers information to help keep Mexico safe and stable.
- It helps strengthen national unity and government institutions.
- It collects and organizes all federal, state, and local laws and treaties into a database. This makes it easier to find information through electronic systems.
Images for kids
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Head Office of the Interior
See also
In Spanish: Secretaría de Gobernación (México) para niños
