Constitution of Mexico

The 1917 constitution, first to embed sweeping social and labor rights.

Overview

Promulgated in February 1917 at Queretaro after the Mexican Revolution, the Constitution of Mexico was the first in the world to incorporate comprehensive social rights. Article 3 established free secular education, Article 27 subordinated property to social function and nationalized subsoil resources, and Article 123 enshrined labor rights including the eight hour day and minimum wage, earning it the title of the first labor constitution. Regularly amended, it created a presidential federal system that later gained judicial review and, after 1990s reforms, genuine multiparty competition. It remains the legal backbone of the modern Mexican state.