Costa Rica is a presidential republic. Voters elect a president and 57 deputies to the Legislative Assembly for four-year terms. The president cannot be reelected immediately. Two vice presidents serve with the cabinet. The capital and the assembly sit in San José.
Why the system is stable
The army was abolished after the 1948 civil war. The constitution directs that money toward education, health, and the courts. Elections are run by an independent tribunal, and power has changed parties without a break in civilian rule since 1949. Several parties compete, and presidents often govern with a divided assembly.
What visitors notice
Campaigns are public and colorful, then the country goes quiet. Marches do happen, usually in San José, and they can slow one road for a day. They rarely affect beach towns in Guanacaste, Puntarenas, or Limón. The country’s record on schools, clinics, and parks comes from these institutions. For how people talk about that history, see the ticos.