Politics of Brazil
Encyclopedia
The politics of Brazil take place in a framework of a federal
presidential
representative democratic
republic
, where by the President
is both head of state
and head of government
, and of a multi-party system
. The political and administrative organization of Brazil
comprises the federal government
, the states, the federal district
and the municipalities.
The federal government exercises control over the central government
and is divided into three independent branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Executive power
is exercised by the President, advised by a cabinet
. Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress
, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Federal Senate
and the Chamber of Deputies
. Judicial power is exercised by the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Federal Court, the Superior Court of Justice
and other Superior Courts
, the National Justice Council
and the regional federal courts
.
The states are autonomous
sub-national entities
with their own constitution
s and governments that, together with the other federative units, form the Federative Republic of Brazil. Currently, Brazil is divided politically and administratively into 27 federative units, being 26 states and one federal district. The executive power is exercised by a governor
elected to a four year term. The judiciary is exercised by courts of first and second instance addressing the common justice. Each State has a unicameral legislature
with deputies who vote state laws. The legislative assemblies supervise the activities of the Executive power of the states and municipalities.
The municipalities are minor federative units of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Each municipality has an autonomous local government
, comprising a mayor
, directly elected by the people to a four year term, and a legislative body, also directly elected by the people.
s:
s and statist
nationalistics. The first group consists of politicians which argue that the internationalization of the economy
is essential for the development of the country, while the other group rely on interventionism
, and protection of state enterprise
s. According to Ridenti, which cites the Fernando Henrique Cardoso
administration as an example of the first group and the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
administration as an example of the second, "we have it cyclically".
Lula's Workers' Party
tends to the statist nationalism side, although there are privatizing
forces within his party and government, while Cardoso's Social Democratic Party tends to favor the international private market side by taking neoliberal
policies. That is especially truth when considering that Lula compares himself with Getúlio Vargas
, Juscelino Kubitscheck and João Goulart
, presidents seen as statist nationalistics.
As of November 2010, 13.8 million Brazilians were affiliated to a political party
. That accounts for 7.3% of the country's population and 10.2% of voters. The preferred parties are PMDB (which accounts for 16.6% of affiliated voters), the Workers' Party (10.0% of affiliated voters), and PP
(9.8% of affiliated voters).
election results
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top rowspan=2|Coalition
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top rowspan=2|Parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center valign=top colspan=3|Chamber
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" valign=top align=center colspan=4|Senate
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|% of seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|+/–
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|Elected seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|Total seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|% of seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|+/–
|-
| rowspan=10 | Lulista
| PT
| 88
| 17.1
| +5
| 12
| 15
| 18.5
| +7
|-
| PMDB
| 79
| 15.3
| –10
| 16
| 20
| 24.6
| +3
|-
| PR
| 41
| 7.9
| +16
| 3
| 4
| 4.9
| —
|-
| PSB
| 34
| 6.6
| +7
| 3
| 3
| 3.7
| —
|-
| PDT
| 28
| 5.4
| +4
| 2
| 4
| 4.9
| –2
|-
| PSC
| 17
| 3.3
| +8
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| —
|-
| PCdoB
| 15
| 2.9
| +2
| 1
| 2
| 2.4
| +1
|-
| PRB
| 8
| 1.5
| +7
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| –1
|-
| PTC
| 1
| 0.1
| –2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| PTN
| 0
| 0.0
| —
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
|colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | Total
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 311
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 60.6
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | +37
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 39
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 50
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 61.7
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | +8
|-
| rowspan=6 | Opposition
Centre-right
| PSDB
| 53
| 10.3
| –13
| 5
| 11
| 13.5
| –5
|-
| DEM
| 43
| 8.3
| –22
| 2
| 6
| 7.4
| –7
|-
| PTB
| 21
| 4.0
| –2
| 1
| 6
| 7.4
| –1
|-
| PPS
| 12
| 2.3
| –10
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| +1
|-
| PMN
| 4
| 0.7
| +1
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| +1
|-
| PTdoB
| 3
| 0.5
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
|colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | Total
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 136
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 26.5
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | –44
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 10
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 25
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 30.8
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | –11
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PP
| 41
| 7.9
| —
| 3
| 4
| 4.9
| +3
|-
| Opposition
Out of coalition
| PV
| 15
| 2.9
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| –1
|-
| Opposition
Out of coalition
| PSOL
| 3
| 0.5
| —
| 2
| 2
| 2.4
| +1
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PHS
| 2
| 0.3
| —
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PRP
| 2
| 0.3
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PRTB
| 2
| 0.3
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PSL
| 1
| 0.1
| +1
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
|}
, and labor unions pressure the government for more intense reforms on taxation and landed property, while the rightist DEM party is critical of the government's social and economic policies.
presidential
constitutional republic
, based on representative democracy
. The federal government has three independent branches
: executive, legislative, and judicial. Executive power
is exercised by the executive branch, headed by the President
, advised by a Cabinet
. The President is both the head of state
and the head of government
. Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress
, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Federal Senate
and the Chamber of Deputies
. Judicial power is exercised by the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Federal Court, the Superior Court of Justice
and other Superior Courts
, the National Justice Council
and the regional federal courts
.
States hold elections every four years and exercise a considerable amount of power. The 1988 constitution allows states to keep their own taxes, and mandates regular allocation of a share of the taxes collected locally by the federal government.
The Executive role is held by the Governador (Governor) and his appointed Secretários (Secretaries); the Legislative role is held by the Assembléia Legislativa (Legislative Assembly); and the Judiciary role, by the Tribunal de Justiça (Justice Tribunal). The governors and the members of the assemblies are elected, but the members of the Judiciary are appointed by the governor from a list provided by the current members of the State Law Court containing only judges (these are chosen by merit in exams open to anyone with a Law degree). The name chosen by the governor must be approved by the Assembly before inauguration. The 1988 Constitution has granted the states the greatest amount of autonomy since the Old Republic.
Each of the 26 state governors must achieve more than 50 per cent of the vote, including a second round run-off between the top two candidates if necessary. In contrast to the federal level, state legislatures are unicameral, although the deputies are elected through similar means, involving an open-list system in which the state serves as one constituency. State level elections occur at the same time as those for the presidency and Congress. In 2002, candidates from eight different parties won the gubernatorial contest while 28 parties are represented in the country’s state legislatures. The last set of elections took place in 2006.
The most important Brazilian states (in terms of population and economic power) are São Paulo
, Rio de Janeiro
, Minas Gerais
, Rio Grande do Sul
, Paraná
, Bahia
, Pernambuco
and Santa Catarina
.
The municipality (município) is a territory comprising one urban area, the sede (seat), from which it takes the name, and several other minor urban or rural areas, the distritos (districts). The seat of a municipality must be the most populous urban area within it; when another urban area grows too much it usually splits from the original municipality to form another one.
A municipality is relatively autonomous: it enacts its own "constitution", which is called organic law (Lei Orgânica), and it is allowed to collect taxes and fees, to maintain a municipal police force (albeit with very restricted powers), to pass laws on any matter that do not contradict either the state or the national constitutions, and to create symbols for itself (like a flag, an anthem and a coat-of-arms). However, not all municipalities exercise all of this autonomy. For instance, only a few municipalities keep local police forces, some of them do not collect some taxes (to attract investors or residents) and many of them do not have a flag (although they are all required to have a coat-of-arms).
Municipalities are governed by an elected prefeito (Mayor
) and a unicameral Câmara de Vereadores (Councillors' Chamber). In municipalities with more than 200,000 voters, the Mayor must be elected by more than 50% of the valid vote. The executive power is called Prefeitura.
Brazilian municipalities can vary widely in area and population. The municipality of Altamira, in the State of Pará
, with 161,445.9 square kilometres of area, is larger than many countries in the world. Several Brazilian municipalities have over 1,000,000 inhabitants, with São Paulo, at more than 9,000,000, being the most populous.
Until 1974 Brazil had one state-level municipality, the State of Guanabara, now merged with the State of Rio de Janeiro
, which comprised the city of Rio de Janeiro solely.
It is considered a single and indivisible entity, constituted by the seat (Brasilia
) and some urban districts (the so-called satellite cities). Satellite cities are created (in law) and governed directly by the Governor of the Federal District, and possess no true identity.
, Customs Cooperation Council, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
, Food and Agriculture Organization
, Group of 11, Group of 15
, Group of 19, Group of 24, Group of 77
, Inter-American Development Bank
, International Atomic Energy Agency
, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank
), International Civil Aviation Organization
, International Chamber of Commerce
, International Criminal Court
, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
, International Development Association
, International Fund for Agricultural Development
, International Finance Corporation
, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
, International Hydrographic Organization
, International Labour Organization
, International Monetary Fund
, International Maritime Organization
, Inmarsat
, International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
, Interpol
, International Olympic Committee
, International Organization for Migration
(observer), International Organization for Standardization
, International Telecommunication Union
, International Trade Union Confederation
, Latin American Economic System
, Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración, Mercosur
, Non-Aligned Movement
(observer), Nuclear Suppliers Group
, Organization of American States
, Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Permanent Court of Arbitration
, Rio Group
, United Nations
, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
, United Nations Industrial Development Organization
, United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka
, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
, United Nations University
, Universal Postal Union
, World Federation of Trade Unions
, World Health Organization
, World Intellectual Property Organization
, World Meteorological Organization
, World Tourism Organization
, World Trade Organization
and egalitarian society because its origins as a plantation
colony and the strong influence of slavery.
, proclaimed the independence. He was the first Emperor (Pedro I) until his resignation in 1831 in favor of his elder son. Due to his young age (five years) a regency was established and the country had its first elections, though vote was still restricted to a minority of the population.
declared the republic, by a coup d'état
. Until 1930, Brazilian republic was formally a democracy, although the power was concentrated in the hands of powerful land owners.
led Getúlio Vargas
to power. For about 15 years, he controlled the country's politics, with a brief three-year constitutional interregnum from 1934 to 1937. A longer, heavier regime, the (Estado Novo
) had loose ties with European fascism
and spanned the years 1938 to 1945.
, Brazil experienced times of political instability after the Second World War. When Vargas was ousted from the presidency in another bloodless coup d'état, in 1945, a new and modern constitution was passed and the country had its first experience with an effective and widespread democracy. But the mounting tension between populist politicians (like Vargas himself and, later, Janio Quadros
) and the right led to a crisis that ultimately brought up the military coup d'état in 1964, now known to have been supported by the American Central Intelligence Agency
.
, with a pro-government National Renewal Alliance Party
(ARENA) and an opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement
(MDB). Thousands of politicians (including former president Juscelino Kubitschek) had their political rights suspended, and military-sanctioned indirect elections were held for most elected positions until political liberalization during the government of João Figueiredo.
, was elected President, but did not take office before he died of natural causes. Fearing a political vacuum—that might stifle the democratic effort—Neves' supporters urged vice-president, José Sarney
to take the oath and govern the country. Tancredo Neves had said that his election and the demise of military régime would create a "New Republic" and Sarney's term of government is often referred to by this name.
Sarney's government was disastrous in almost every field. The ongoing economic recession and the soaring external debt
drained the country's assets while ravaging inflation
(which later turned into hyperinflation
) demonetized the currency and prevented any stability. In an attempt to revolutionize the economy and defeat inflation, Sarney carried on an ambitious "heterodox" economic plan (Cruzado) in 1986, which included price controls, default on the external debts and reduction of salaries. The plan seemed successful for some months, but it soon caused wholesale shortages of consumer goods (especially of easily exportable goods like meat, milk, automobiles, grains, sugar and alcohol) and the appearance of a black market in which such goods were sold for higher prices. Sarney used the popularity ensued by the apparent success of the plan to secure the hugest electoral win in Brazilian history: the party he had just joined, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), won 26 out of 27 states and more than 3,000 municipalities. Just after the elections, Sarney's "corrections" to the economy failed to control inflation and the public perception that he had used an artificial control of inflation to win the elections proved to be his undoing: he never recovered his popularity and was plagued by strong criticism from most sectors of society until the end of his term. Despite popular rejection, Sarney managed to extend his term from four to five years and exerted pressure on the Constitutional Assembly that was drafting the new constitution to abort the adoption of Parliamentarism.
, with all candidates trying to keep distance from him.
Collor made some very bold statements, like saying that the Brazilian industry (of which the Brazilians used to be very proud) was mostly obsolete and polluting or that defaulting the debt was equal to not paying the rent. He also took quite revolutionary measures, like reducing the number of ministries to only 12 and naming Zélia Cardoso de Mello
Minister of Economy (the highest position so far enjoyed by a woman in Brazil) or removing existing barriers to importing of goods.
His inflation control plan was based on an attempt to control prices and a complicated currency conversion process that prevented people from cashing their bank accounts for 18 months.
All of this made him quite unpopular and denied him support in the parliament that he needed since his own party held few seats. At the beginning of his third year in office, he resigned as a result of in a huge corruption scandal. The charges against him would later be dropped, some on mere technicalities, some for actually being irrelevant or false.
Collor desperately tried to resist impeachment
by rallying the support of the youth and of the lower classes, but his call for help was answered by massive popular demonstrations, led mostly by students, demanding his resignation.
, a new economic plan that seemed to be just the same as the many unsuccessful plans launched by Sarney, Collor and their military predecessor. But the Real was a success, and terminated inflation in a few months.
, a successful economic reform that managed to permanently rid the country of the excessive inflation that had plagued it for more than forty years. The plan consisted of replacing the discredited old currency (cruzeiro
and cruzeiro real
) and pegging its value temporarily to the United States dollar
. Inflation – which had become a fact of Brazilian life – was cut dramatically, a change that the Brazilians took years to get used to. Because of the success of Plano Real, Cardoso was chosen by his party to run for president and, with the strong support of Franco, eventually won, beating Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, who had emerged as the favorite only one year earlier.
Cardoso's term was marked by other major changes in Brazilian politics and economy. Public services and state-owned companies were privatized
(some for values supposedly too cheap according to his adversaries), the strong real
made it easy to import goods, forcing Brazilian industry to modernize and compete (which had the side effect of causing many of them to be bought by foreign companies). During his first term, a constitutional amendment was passed to enable a sitting Executive chief to run for re-election, after which he again beat Lula in 1998.
In 2002, at his fourth attempt, Lula was elected president. In part his victory was derived from the considerable unpopularity of Cardoso's second term, which failed to decrease the economic inequality, and in part from a softening of his and the party's radical stance, including a vice-presidential candidate from the Liberal Party
, acceptance of an International Monetary Fund
(IMF) accord agreed to by the previous government and a line of discourse friendly to the financial markets.
Despite some achievements in solving part of the country's biggest problems, his term was plagued by multiple corruption scandals that rocked his cabinet, forcing some members to resign their posts.
In 2006 Lula regained part of his popularity and ran for re-election. After almost winning on the first round, he won the run-off against Geraldo Alckmin
from the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), by a margin of 20 million votes.
In 2010, Lula's handpicked successor, Dilma Rousseff
, was elected to the Presidency.
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
presidential
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, where by the President
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
is both head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. The political and administrative organization of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
comprises the federal government
Federal government of Brazil
The Federal government of Brazil is the national central government of the Federative Republic of Brazil established by the Federal Constitution to share sovereignty over the national territory with the other federating units – the states, the Federal District and the municipalities.Brazil is a...
, the states, the federal district
Brazilian Federal District
The Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...
and the municipalities.
The federal government exercises control over the central government
Central government
A central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
and is divided into three independent branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the President, advised by a cabinet
Cabinet of Brazil
The Cabinet of Brazil is composed of the Ministers of State and senior advisors of the executive branch of the federal government of Brazil. Cabinet officers are appointed and dismissed by the President. There are currently twenty-four Ministries of State and fourteen other cabinet-level...
. Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress
National Congress of Brazil
The National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government.Unlike regional legislative bodies – Legislative Assemblies and City Councils -, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies .The Senate represents the 26 states and...
, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Federal Senate
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
and the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
. Judicial power is exercised by the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Federal Court, the Superior Court of Justice
Superior Court of Justice (Brazil)
The Superior Court of Justice is the highest appellate court in Brazil for non-constitutional questions of federal law. The STJ also has original jurisdiction over some cases...
and other Superior Courts
Federal courts of Brazil
The federal court system of Brazil has all its organs and competences listed and defined in the Brazilian 1988 Constitution. The National Justice Council is an exclusively administrative organ of the federal court system.-Courts:*Supreme Federal Court...
, the National Justice Council
National Justice Council
The National Justice Council is an organ of the Brazilian Judicial System created in 2004 by a Constitutional Amendment, as a part of the Judicial Reform. The 15-member Council was established in 2004 by the 45th Amendment to the Constitution of Brazil...
and the regional federal courts
Regional Federal Courts
The Regional Federal Courts are Brazilian appellate courts of the Brazil federal court system. There currently are five of these courts, geographically defined. They are commonly called TRFs....
.
The states are autonomous
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
sub-national entities
Administrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
with their own constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
s and governments that, together with the other federative units, form the Federative Republic of Brazil. Currently, Brazil is divided politically and administratively into 27 federative units, being 26 states and one federal district. The executive power is exercised by a governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
elected to a four year term. The judiciary is exercised by courts of first and second instance addressing the common justice. Each State has a unicameral legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
with deputies who vote state laws. The legislative assemblies supervise the activities of the Executive power of the states and municipalities.
The municipalities are minor federative units of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Each municipality has an autonomous local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, comprising a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, directly elected by the people to a four year term, and a legislative body, also directly elected by the people.
Constitution
Brazil has had seven constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
s:
- Constitution of 1824 – the first Brazilian constitution, enacted by Dom Pedro I. It was monarchic, hereditary and highly centralized, permitting the vote only to property-holders.
- Constitution of 1891 – the republic was proclaimed in 1889, but a new constitution was not promulgated until 1891. This federalist, democratic constitution was heavily influenced by the U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model. However, women and illiterates were not permitted to vote. - Constitution of 1934 – when Getúlio VargasGetúlio VargasGetúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
came to power in 1930, he canceled the 1891 constitution and did not permit a new one until 1934. The Constitutionalist RevolutionConstitutionalist RevolutionThe Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 is the name given to the uprising of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the 1930 coup d'état whereby Getúlio Vargas assumed the nation's Presidency; Vargas was supported by the military and the political elites of Minas Gerais, Rio...
of 1932 forced Vargas to enact a new democratic constitution that permitted women's suffrage. Getúlio Vargas was indirectly elected president by the Constitutional Assembly to a four-year term, beginning in 1933. - Constitution of 1937 – Getúlio Vargas suppressed a Communist uprising in 1935 and two years later (November 10, 1937) used it as a pretext to establish autocratic rule. He instituted a corporatist constitution nicknamed the Polish, (because it was said to have been inspired by a Polish constitution), written by Francisco Campos.
- Constitution of 1946 – in October, 1945, with the II World War over, a civil-military coup ousted dictatorial Getúlio Vargas, an Assembly wrote a democratic constitution.
- Constitution of 1967 – after the 1964 coup d'État against João GoulartJoão GoulartJoão Belchior Marques Goulart was a Brazilian politician and the 24th President of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on April 1, 1964. He is considered to have been the last left-wing President of the country until Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003.-Name:João Goulart is...
, the military dictatorship passed the Institutional Acts, a supraconstitutional law. This strongly undemocratic constitution simply incorporated these Acts. - Constitution of 1988Constitution of BrazilDuring its independent political history, Brazil has had seven constitutions. The most recent was ratified on October 5, 1988.-Imperial Constitution :Background...
– the progressive redemocratization culminated in the current constitution. Very democratic, it is more expansive than a normal constitution – many statutory acts in other countries are written into this constitution, like Social Security and taxes.
Political parties and elections
According to sociologist Marcelo Ridenti, Brazilian politics is divided between internationalistic liberalLiberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
s and statist
Statism
Statism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
nationalistics. The first group consists of politicians which argue that the internationalization of the economy
Economy of Brazil
The economy of Brazil is the world's seventh largest by nominal GDP and eighth largest by purchasing power parity. Brazil has moderately free markets and an inward-oriented economy...
is essential for the development of the country, while the other group rely on interventionism
Interventionism (politics)
Interventionism is a term for a policy of non-defensive activity undertaken by a nation-state, or other geo-political jurisdiction of a lesser or greater nature, to manipulate an economy or society...
, and protection of state enterprise
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
s. According to Ridenti, which cites the Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician...
administration as an example of the first group and the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
administration as an example of the second, "we have it cyclically".
Lula's Workers' Party
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
tends to the statist nationalism side, although there are privatizing
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
forces within his party and government, while Cardoso's Social Democratic Party tends to favor the international private market side by taking neoliberal
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
policies. That is especially truth when considering that Lula compares himself with Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
, Juscelino Kubitscheck and João Goulart
João Goulart
João Belchior Marques Goulart was a Brazilian politician and the 24th President of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on April 1, 1964. He is considered to have been the last left-wing President of the country until Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003.-Name:João Goulart is...
, presidents seen as statist nationalistics.
As of November 2010, 13.8 million Brazilians were affiliated to a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. That accounts for 7.3% of the country's population and 10.2% of voters. The preferred parties are PMDB (which accounts for 16.6% of affiliated voters), the Workers' Party (10.0% of affiliated voters), and PP
Progressive Party (Brazil)
The Progressive party is a centre-right Brazilian political party embracing conservatism and elements of populism and liberalism....
(9.8% of affiliated voters).
2010 general election results
Summary of the 3 October 2010 National CongressNational Congress of Brazil
The National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government.Unlike regional legislative bodies – Legislative Assemblies and City Councils -, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies .The Senate represents the 26 states and...
election results
Brazilian parliamentary election, 2010
The 2010 Brazilian parliamentary election was held on Sunday, October 3, as part of the country's general election. In the date, 54 of the 81 seats in the Federal Senate and all 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies were up for election....
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top rowspan=2|Coalition
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top rowspan=2|Parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center valign=top colspan=3|Chamber
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" valign=top align=center colspan=4|Senate
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|% of seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|+/–
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|Elected seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|Total seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|% of seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right valign=top|+/–
|-
| rowspan=10 | Lulista
For Brazil to keep on changing
For Brazil to keep on changing is the name of an electoral coalition formed around the democratic socialist Workers' Party in Brazil for the 2010 presidential election. It comprised ten parties from the left and center spectrums: PT, PMDB, PCdoB, PDT, PRB, PR, PSB, PSC, PTC and PTN. On October...
| PT
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
| 88
| 17.1
| +5
| 12
| 15
| 18.5
| +7
|-
| PMDB
| 79
| 15.3
| –10
| 16
| 20
| 24.6
| +3
|-
| PR
Republic Party
The Republic Party is a centrist Brazilian political party.It was founded on December 21, 2006 by the merge of the Liberal Party and the Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order .It is likely that in the future two other parties, the Social Christian Party The Republic Party (Partido da...
| 41
| 7.9
| +16
| 3
| 4
| 4.9
| —
|-
| PSB
Brazilian Socialist Party
The Brazilian Socialist Party , is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organized in 1985 with the re-democratization of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 2010, becoming the second largest party in number of state...
| 34
| 6.6
| +7
| 3
| 3
| 3.7
| —
|-
| PDT
Democratic Labour Party (Brazil)
The Democratic Labour Party is a populist, democratic socialist political party of Brazil. It was founded in 1979 by left-wing leader Leonel Brizola as an attempt to reorganize the Brazilian leftist forces during the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship...
| 28
| 5.4
| +4
| 2
| 4
| 4.9
| –2
|-
| PSC
Social Christian Party (Brazil)
The Social Christian Party is a Christian-democratic political party in Brazil.At the legislative elections, 6 October 2002, the party won 1 out of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and no seats in the Senate. At the legislative elections of October 1, 2006, the party won 9 seats in the...
| 17
| 3.3
| +8
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| —
|-
| PCdoB
Communist Party of Brazil
The Communist Party of Brazil is a political party in Brazil. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and students movements. PCdoB dispute with the Brazilian Communist Party the title of "oldest political party in Brazil"...
| 15
| 2.9
| +2
| 1
| 2
| 2.4
| +1
|-
| PRB
Brazilian Republican Party
The Brazilian Republican Party is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral number is 10 and it became a registered political party on August 25, 2005. The Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus uses the party to elect its bishops in Brazilian elections...
| 8
| 1.5
| +7
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| –1
|-
| PTC
Christian Labour Party
The Christian Labour Party is a christian-conservative political party in Brazil.The party was founded in 1985 as Youth Party by Daniel Tourinho, a brazilian lawyer...
| 1
| 0.1
| –2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| PTN
National Labour Party (Brazil)
The National Labour Party is a tiny populist-centrist Brazilian political party originally founded in 1945.It was founded by dissidents from the Brazilian Labor Party in 1945, and supported the winning candidacy of Jânio Quadros in 1960. It was abolished by the military regime in 1965.It was...
| 0
| 0.0
| —
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
|colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | Total
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 311
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 60.6
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | +37
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 39
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 50
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 61.7
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | +8
|-
| rowspan=6 | Opposition
Centre-right
Brazil can do more
Brazil can do more is the name of a centre-right electoral coalition in Brazil formed around the Third Way Brazilian Social Democratic Party for the 2010 presidential election. It is formed by six parties: PSDB, DEM, PTB, PPS, PMN and PTdoB...
| PSDB
| 53
| 10.3
| –13
| 5
| 11
| 13.5
| –5
|-
| DEM
Democrats (Brazil)
The Democrats is a centre-right political party in Brazil, considered the main in the right-wing spectrum. Despite its former name , the party affiliates itself to the Centrist Democrat International, and the International Democrat Union. The name comes from its support to free market policies...
| 43
| 8.3
| –22
| 2
| 6
| 7.4
| –7
|-
| PTB
Brazilian Labour Party (current)
The Brazilian Labour Party is a center-right political party in Brazil founded in 1981 by Ivete Vargas, niece of President Getúlio Vargas. It claims the legacy of the historical PTB, although many historians reject this because the early version of PTB was a center-left party with wide support in...
| 21
| 4.0
| –2
| 1
| 6
| 7.4
| –1
|-
| PPS
Socialist People's Party (Brazil)
The Socialist People's Party is a political party in Brazil.It was founded in 1992, after the Brazilian Communist Party decided to rename itself the Socialist People's Party as part of a political realignment following the collapse of the Soviet Union.The PPS was a part of the coalition government...
| 12
| 2.3
| –10
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| +1
|-
| PMN
Party of National Mobilization
The Party of National Mobilization is a national-centrist political party in Brazil founded by politicians from the state of Minas Gerais on April 21, 1984, advocating for agrarian reform, termination of debt payments, ending of relations with the International Monetary Fund and formation of a...
| 4
| 0.7
| +1
| 1
| 1
| 1.2
| +1
|-
| PTdoB
Labour Party of Brazil
The Labour Party of Brazil is a tiny populist-centrist Brazilian political party.It was founded in 1989 by dissidents of the Brazilian Labour Party and is a minor force in Brazilian politics...
| 3
| 0.5
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
|colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | Total
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 136
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 26.5
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | –44
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 10
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 25
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | 30.8
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right | –11
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PP
Progressive Party (Brazil)
The Progressive party is a centre-right Brazilian political party embracing conservatism and elements of populism and liberalism....
| 41
| 7.9
| —
| 3
| 4
| 4.9
| +3
|-
| Opposition
Out of coalition
| PV
Green Party (Brazil)
The Brazilian Green Party was constituted after the military dictatorship period and, like other Green Parties around the world, is committed to establishing a set of policies on ensuring social-democracy and sustainable development...
| 15
| 2.9
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| –1
|-
| Opposition
Out of coalition
| PSOL
Socialism and Freedom Party
The Socialism and Freedom Party is a Brazilian political party . Among the party leaders are Heloísa Helena , federal deputies Luciana Genro and Babá , and a number of well-known Brazilian left-wing leaders and intellectuals, such as Milton Temer, Carlos Nelson Coutinho, Ricardo Antunes,...
| 3
| 0.5
| —
| 2
| 2
| 2.4
| +1
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PHS
Humanist Party of Solidarity (Brazil)
The Humanist Party of Solidarity is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral code is 31 and it became a registered political party on March 20, 1997. The party advocates distributism and Christian morals....
| 2
| 0.3
| —
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PRP
Progressive Republican Party (Brazil)
The Progressive Republican Party is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral number is 44 and it became a registered political party on November 22, 1991....
| 2
| 0.3
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PRTB
Brazilian Labour Renewal Party
The Brazilian Labour Renewal Party is a tiny populist-centrist Brazilian political party.In 2006 the party gained some electoral importance because of the election of ex-President Fernando Collor de Mello, impeached in 1992, who made his comeback in national politics as Senator....
| 2
| 0.3
| +2
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
| Lulista
Out of coalition
| PSL
Social Liberal Party (Brazil)
The Social Liberal Party is a liberal party in Brazil. At the legislative elections, 6 October 2002, the party won 1 out of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and no seats in the Senate. In 2006 didn't win seats in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate...
| 1
| 0.1
| +1
| 0
| 0
| 0.0
| —
|-
|}
Political pressure groups and leaders
The left wing of the Catholic Church, the Landless Workers' MovementLandless Workers' Movement
Landless Workers' Movement is a social movement in Brazil; it is the second largest social movement in Latin America with an estimated 1.5 million landless members in 23 out of Brazil's 26 states. The MST states it carries out land reform in a country it sees as mired by unjust land distribution...
, and labor unions pressure the government for more intense reforms on taxation and landed property, while the rightist DEM party is critical of the government's social and economic policies.
Federal government
Brazil is a federalFederalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
presidential
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
constitutional republic
Constitutional republic
A constitutional republic is a state in which the head of state and other officials are representatives of the people and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government's power over all of its citizens...
, based on representative democracy
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
. The federal government has three independent branches
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
: executive, legislative, and judicial. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the executive branch, headed by the President
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
, advised by a Cabinet
Cabinet of Brazil
The Cabinet of Brazil is composed of the Ministers of State and senior advisors of the executive branch of the federal government of Brazil. Cabinet officers are appointed and dismissed by the President. There are currently twenty-four Ministries of State and fourteen other cabinet-level...
. The President is both the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress
National Congress of Brazil
The National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government.Unlike regional legislative bodies – Legislative Assemblies and City Councils -, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies .The Senate represents the 26 states and...
, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Federal Senate
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
and the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
. Judicial power is exercised by the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Federal Court, the Superior Court of Justice
Superior Court of Justice (Brazil)
The Superior Court of Justice is the highest appellate court in Brazil for non-constitutional questions of federal law. The STJ also has original jurisdiction over some cases...
and other Superior Courts
Federal courts of Brazil
The federal court system of Brazil has all its organs and competences listed and defined in the Brazilian 1988 Constitution. The National Justice Council is an exclusively administrative organ of the federal court system.-Courts:*Supreme Federal Court...
, the National Justice Council
National Justice Council
The National Justice Council is an organ of the Brazilian Judicial System created in 2004 by a Constitutional Amendment, as a part of the Judicial Reform. The 15-member Council was established in 2004 by the 45th Amendment to the Constitution of Brazil...
and the regional federal courts
Regional Federal Courts
The Regional Federal Courts are Brazilian appellate courts of the Brazil federal court system. There currently are five of these courts, geographically defined. They are commonly called TRFs....
.
States
The 26 Brazilian states are semi-autonomous self-governing entities organized with complete administration branches, relative financial independence and their own set of symbols, similar to those owned by the country itself. Despite their relative autonomy they all have the same model of administration, as set by the Federal Constitution.States hold elections every four years and exercise a considerable amount of power. The 1988 constitution allows states to keep their own taxes, and mandates regular allocation of a share of the taxes collected locally by the federal government.
The Executive role is held by the Governador (Governor) and his appointed Secretários (Secretaries); the Legislative role is held by the Assembléia Legislativa (Legislative Assembly); and the Judiciary role, by the Tribunal de Justiça (Justice Tribunal). The governors and the members of the assemblies are elected, but the members of the Judiciary are appointed by the governor from a list provided by the current members of the State Law Court containing only judges (these are chosen by merit in exams open to anyone with a Law degree). The name chosen by the governor must be approved by the Assembly before inauguration. The 1988 Constitution has granted the states the greatest amount of autonomy since the Old Republic.
Each of the 26 state governors must achieve more than 50 per cent of the vote, including a second round run-off between the top two candidates if necessary. In contrast to the federal level, state legislatures are unicameral, although the deputies are elected through similar means, involving an open-list system in which the state serves as one constituency. State level elections occur at the same time as those for the presidency and Congress. In 2002, candidates from eight different parties won the gubernatorial contest while 28 parties are represented in the country’s state legislatures. The last set of elections took place in 2006.
The most important Brazilian states (in terms of population and economic power) are São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
and Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
.
Municipalities
Brazil has no clear distinction between towns and cities (in effect, the Portuguese word cidade means both). The only possible difference is regarding the municipalities that have a court of first instance and those that do not. The former are called Sedes de Comarca (seats of a comarca, which is the territory under the rule of that court). Other than that, only size and importance differs one from another.The municipality (município) is a territory comprising one urban area, the sede (seat), from which it takes the name, and several other minor urban or rural areas, the distritos (districts). The seat of a municipality must be the most populous urban area within it; when another urban area grows too much it usually splits from the original municipality to form another one.
A municipality is relatively autonomous: it enacts its own "constitution", which is called organic law (Lei Orgânica), and it is allowed to collect taxes and fees, to maintain a municipal police force (albeit with very restricted powers), to pass laws on any matter that do not contradict either the state or the national constitutions, and to create symbols for itself (like a flag, an anthem and a coat-of-arms). However, not all municipalities exercise all of this autonomy. For instance, only a few municipalities keep local police forces, some of them do not collect some taxes (to attract investors or residents) and many of them do not have a flag (although they are all required to have a coat-of-arms).
Municipalities are governed by an elected prefeito (Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
) and a unicameral Câmara de Vereadores (Councillors' Chamber). In municipalities with more than 200,000 voters, the Mayor must be elected by more than 50% of the valid vote. The executive power is called Prefeitura.
Brazilian municipalities can vary widely in area and population. The municipality of Altamira, in the State of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, with 161,445.9 square kilometres of area, is larger than many countries in the world. Several Brazilian municipalities have over 1,000,000 inhabitants, with São Paulo, at more than 9,000,000, being the most populous.
Until 1974 Brazil had one state-level municipality, the State of Guanabara, now merged with the State of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
, which comprised the city of Rio de Janeiro solely.
The Federal District
The Federal District is an anomalous unit of the federation, as it is not organized the same manner as a municipality, does not possess the same autonomy as a state (though usually ranked among them), and is closely related to the central power.It is considered a single and indivisible entity, constituted by the seat (Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
) and some urban districts (the so-called satellite cities). Satellite cities are created (in law) and governed directly by the Governor of the Federal District, and possess no true identity.
International organization participation
African Development BankAfrican Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa...
, Customs Cooperation Council, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...
, Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
, Group of 11, Group of 15
Group of 15
The Group of 15 was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in September 1989.This informal forum was set up to foster cooperation and provide input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization and the Group of Eight...
, Group of 19, Group of 24, Group of 77
Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
, Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
, International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
), International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
, International Chamber of Commerce
International Chamber of Commerce
The International Chamber of Commerce is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. Its hundreds of thousands of member companies in over 130 countries have interests spanning every sector of private enterprise....
, International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
, International Development Association
International Development Association
The International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
, International Fund for Agricultural Development
International Fund for Agricultural Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
, International Finance Corporation
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
, International Hydrographic Organization
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...
, International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
, International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, International Maritime Organization
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
, Inmarsat
Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites...
, International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization is an intergovernmental organisation charged with overseeing the public service obligations of Intelsat.-External links:*...
, Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
, International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
, International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
(observer), International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
, International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
, International Trade Union Confederation
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...
, Latin American Economic System
Latin American Economic System
The Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System, officially known as Sistema Económico Latinoamericano y del Caribe , is an organization founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and social development between Latin American and the Caribbean countries...
, Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración, Mercosur
Mercosur
Mercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,...
, Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
(observer), Nuclear Suppliers Group
Nuclear Suppliers Group
Nuclear Suppliers Group is a multinational body concerned with reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development and by improving safeguards and protection on existing materials.- History :It was founded in...
, Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
, Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
, Rio Group
Rio Group
- List of Summit meetings :- See also :* Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, possible successor of the Rio Group* Union of South American Nations...
, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
, United Nations Industrial Development Organization
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
, United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka
United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka
UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka was established on 15 January 1996 in Security Council Resolution 1038 as a peacekeeping mission to monitor the demilitarization of the disputed Prevlaka peninsula by carrying out daily foot and vehicle patrols on both sides of the border between Croatia and...
, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...
, United Nations University
United Nations University
The United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
, Universal Postal Union
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
, World Federation of Trade Unions
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...
, World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, World Intellectual Property Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
, World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
, World Tourism Organization
World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
, World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
History
Throughout its history, Brazil has struggled to build a democraticDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and egalitarian society because its origins as a plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
colony and the strong influence of slavery.
Empire
In 1822 the Prince Pedro de Alcântara, son of Portuguese King, D. João VIJohn VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
, proclaimed the independence. He was the first Emperor (Pedro I) until his resignation in 1831 in favor of his elder son. Due to his young age (five years) a regency was established and the country had its first elections, though vote was still restricted to a minority of the population.
Old Republic
In 1889, Marshal Deodoro da FonsecaDeodoro da Fonseca
Marshal Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca became the first president of the Republic of Brazil after heading a military coup that deposed Emperor Pedro II and proclaimed the Republic in 1889, disestablishing the Empire of Brazil.- Biography :...
declared the republic, by a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. Until 1930, Brazilian republic was formally a democracy, although the power was concentrated in the hands of powerful land owners.
Vargas years
In 1930, a bloodless coupCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
led Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
to power. For about 15 years, he controlled the country's politics, with a brief three-year constitutional interregnum from 1934 to 1937. A longer, heavier regime, the (Estado Novo
Estado Novo (Brazil)
Vargas Era is the period in the history of Brazil that lasted from 1930 to 1945, when the country was under the leadership of Getúlio Dornelles Vargas....
) had loose ties with European fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and spanned the years 1938 to 1945.
Populist years
Like most of Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Brazil experienced times of political instability after the Second World War. When Vargas was ousted from the presidency in another bloodless coup d'état, in 1945, a new and modern constitution was passed and the country had its first experience with an effective and widespread democracy. But the mounting tension between populist politicians (like Vargas himself and, later, Janio Quadros
Jânio Quadros
Jânio da Silva Quadros , , was a Brazilian politician who served as President of Brazil for only 7 months in 1961.-Career:...
) and the right led to a crisis that ultimately brought up the military coup d'état in 1964, now known to have been supported by the American Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
.
Military dictatorship
In 1964 a military-led coup d'état deposed the democratically-elected president of Brazil, João Goulart. Between 1964 and 1985, Brazil was governed by the military, with a two-party systemTwo-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
, with a pro-government National Renewal Alliance Party
National Renewal Alliance Party
The National Renewal Alliance Party or Aliança Renovadora Nacional was a conservative political party that existed in Brazil between 1966 and 1985...
(ARENA) and an opposition Brazilian Democratic Movement
Brazilian Democratic Movement
The Brazilian Democratic Movement was a political party in Brazil that existed from 1965 to 1979. It was formed in 1965, when the military government that overthrew President João Goulart abolished all existing political parties...
(MDB). Thousands of politicians (including former president Juscelino Kubitschek) had their political rights suspended, and military-sanctioned indirect elections were held for most elected positions until political liberalization during the government of João Figueiredo.
New Republic (1985-1990)
In 1985, the military were defeated in an election according to the scheme they had set up—as a consequence of the loss of political support among the elites. The opposition candidate, Tancredo NevesTancredo Neves
Tancredo de Almeida Neves, SFO more commonly Tancredo Neves was a Brazilian politician. He was born in São João del Rey, in the state of Minas Gerais, of mostly Portuguese, but also Austrian descent and graduated in law. The Neves family name comes from an Azorean great great grandfather...
, was elected President, but did not take office before he died of natural causes. Fearing a political vacuum—that might stifle the democratic effort—Neves' supporters urged vice-president, José Sarney
José Sarney
José Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
to take the oath and govern the country. Tancredo Neves had said that his election and the demise of military régime would create a "New Republic" and Sarney's term of government is often referred to by this name.
Sarney's government was disastrous in almost every field. The ongoing economic recession and the soaring external debt
External debt
External debt is that part of the total debt in a country that is owed to creditors outside the country. The debtors can be the government, corporations or private households. The debt includes money owed to private commercial banks, other governments, or international financial institutions such...
drained the country's assets while ravaging inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
(which later turned into hyperinflation
Hyperinflation
In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or out of control. While the real values of the specific economic items generally stay the same in terms of relatively stable foreign currencies, in hyperinflationary conditions the general price level within a specific economy increases...
) demonetized the currency and prevented any stability. In an attempt to revolutionize the economy and defeat inflation, Sarney carried on an ambitious "heterodox" economic plan (Cruzado) in 1986, which included price controls, default on the external debts and reduction of salaries. The plan seemed successful for some months, but it soon caused wholesale shortages of consumer goods (especially of easily exportable goods like meat, milk, automobiles, grains, sugar and alcohol) and the appearance of a black market in which such goods were sold for higher prices. Sarney used the popularity ensued by the apparent success of the plan to secure the hugest electoral win in Brazilian history: the party he had just joined, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), won 26 out of 27 states and more than 3,000 municipalities. Just after the elections, Sarney's "corrections" to the economy failed to control inflation and the public perception that he had used an artificial control of inflation to win the elections proved to be his undoing: he never recovered his popularity and was plagued by strong criticism from most sectors of society until the end of his term. Despite popular rejection, Sarney managed to extend his term from four to five years and exerted pressure on the Constitutional Assembly that was drafting the new constitution to abort the adoption of Parliamentarism.
Collor government (1990-1992)
In 1989 Fernando Collor de Mello was elected president for the term from 1990-1994. The elections were marked by unanimous condemnation of José SarneyJosé Sarney
José Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
, with all candidates trying to keep distance from him.
Collor made some very bold statements, like saying that the Brazilian industry (of which the Brazilians used to be very proud) was mostly obsolete and polluting or that defaulting the debt was equal to not paying the rent. He also took quite revolutionary measures, like reducing the number of ministries to only 12 and naming Zélia Cardoso de Mello
Zélia Cardoso de Mello
Zélia Maria Cardoso de Mello served as Brazil's Minister of Economy from 1990 to 1991 under Fernando Collor de Mello . She was married to Brazilian comedian Chico Anysio, with whom she has two children, Rodrigo and Victoria...
Minister of Economy (the highest position so far enjoyed by a woman in Brazil) or removing existing barriers to importing of goods.
His inflation control plan was based on an attempt to control prices and a complicated currency conversion process that prevented people from cashing their bank accounts for 18 months.
All of this made him quite unpopular and denied him support in the parliament that he needed since his own party held few seats. At the beginning of his third year in office, he resigned as a result of in a huge corruption scandal. The charges against him would later be dropped, some on mere technicalities, some for actually being irrelevant or false.
Collor desperately tried to resist impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
by rallying the support of the youth and of the lower classes, but his call for help was answered by massive popular demonstrations, led mostly by students, demanding his resignation.
Itamar government (1992-1994)
In 1992, the vice-president, Itamar Franco, took office as president and managed to evade the most feared consequences of Collor's downfall. He had to face a country with hyper-inflation, high levels of misery and unemployment. Far-left organizations were trying to turn the anti-Collor campaign into a wider revolutionary fight to overthrow the regime. Itamar finally granted full powers to his Minister of Economy, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, so the minister could launch the Plano RealPlano Real
The Plano Real was a set of measures taken to stabilize the Brazilian economy in early 1994, under the direction of Fernando Henrique Cardoso as the Minister of Finance, during the presidency of Itamar Franco....
, a new economic plan that seemed to be just the same as the many unsuccessful plans launched by Sarney, Collor and their military predecessor. But the Real was a success, and terminated inflation in a few months.
FHC government (1995-2003)
In 1994, Cardoso launched his Plano RealPlano Real
The Plano Real was a set of measures taken to stabilize the Brazilian economy in early 1994, under the direction of Fernando Henrique Cardoso as the Minister of Finance, during the presidency of Itamar Franco....
, a successful economic reform that managed to permanently rid the country of the excessive inflation that had plagued it for more than forty years. The plan consisted of replacing the discredited old currency (cruzeiro
Brazilian cruzeiro
The cruzeiro was the currency of Brazil from 1942 to 1986 and again between 1990 and 1993. The name refers to the constellation of the Southern Cross, known in Brazil as Cruzeiro do Sul, or simply Cruzeiro ....
and cruzeiro real
Brazilian cruzeiro real
The cruzeiro real was the short-lived currency of Brazil between August 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994. It was subdivided in 100 centavos, however, this unit was used only for accounting purposes. The currency had the ISO 4217 code BRR.-History:The cruzeiro real replaced the third cruzeiro, with 1000...
) and pegging its value temporarily to the United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. Inflation – which had become a fact of Brazilian life – was cut dramatically, a change that the Brazilians took years to get used to. Because of the success of Plano Real, Cardoso was chosen by his party to run for president and, with the strong support of Franco, eventually won, beating Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, who had emerged as the favorite only one year earlier.
Cardoso's term was marked by other major changes in Brazilian politics and economy. Public services and state-owned companies were privatized
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
(some for values supposedly too cheap according to his adversaries), the strong real
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
made it easy to import goods, forcing Brazilian industry to modernize and compete (which had the side effect of causing many of them to be bought by foreign companies). During his first term, a constitutional amendment was passed to enable a sitting Executive chief to run for re-election, after which he again beat Lula in 1998.
Lula government (2003-2011)
Liberal Party (Brazil)
The Liberal Party was a conservative political party of Brazil, merged in the Republic Party. The Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus had been taking part in Brazilian elections through PL, but the church has now partially left it to create a new centrist party named Partido Republicano Brasileiro...
, acceptance of an International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) accord agreed to by the previous government and a line of discourse friendly to the financial markets.
Despite some achievements in solving part of the country's biggest problems, his term was plagued by multiple corruption scandals that rocked his cabinet, forcing some members to resign their posts.
In 2006 Lula regained part of his popularity and ran for re-election. After almost winning on the first round, he won the run-off against Geraldo Alckmin
Geraldo Alckmin
Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho , known as Geraldo Alckmin is a Brazilian politician, who has been elected as the new governor of São Paulo, doing it for the second time, and former candidate for president of Brazil in the 2006 Elections...
from the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), by a margin of 20 million votes.
In 2010, Lula's handpicked successor, Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
, was elected to the Presidency.
External links
- Global Integrity Report: Brazil reports on anti-corruption efforts