Question

In Mexico what does the government control

Answer 1

Do you mean the federal (national) government or state/municipal governments? Or do you mean “control” in the sense of which sectors are run by the government (versus private companies)?

Brief general answer (federal level)
- National defense and the armed forces.
- Foreign policy, diplomacy and international treaties.
- Federal criminal justice, immigration and customs.
- National taxation and fiscal policy.
- Regulation of the economy (competition, financial regulation, telecoms, energy) and major public policy frameworks.
- Strategic state-owned enterprises (historically Petróleos Mexicanos — PEMEX — and the Federal Electricity Commission — CFE; reforms have changed the extent of state control but they remain large public actors).
- Public social programs and large parts of health and social security (IMSS, ISSSTE, public health programs).
- Federal education policy and universities (secretariat-level policy; states run day-to-day school administration).
- Infrastructure of national scope (federal highways, ports, airports) and natural-resource management on federal lands.
- Public safety at the federal level (specialized forces, federal prosecutors).

Notes about division of power
- Mexico is a federal republic: many responsibilities are shared or belong to states and municipalities. States handle local policing, state roads, public education administration, public health services and courts. Municipalities manage water, street sanitation, land use/zoning, local police and basic services.
- Some institutions are independent or autonomous by law (e.g., Banco de México for monetary policy, the National Electoral Institute for elections, Federal Electricity and Telecommunications regulators have regulatory independence).

If you tell me which area you’re most interested in (economy, energy, health, local government, etc.), I can give a focused, up-to-date explanation.