Brazil Flashcards
Political system
• Federal Republic: 26 states and one Federal District (area containing the capital
Brasília); 5570 Municipalities
• Executives: Presidential system of Govt.
• Head of the Govt:
• Federal Govt - President; State Govt- Governor; Municipalities- Mayor
• Legislature:
•Federal Bi- cameral; States: Unicameral
• Federal (National Congress) : Senate (81 members elected for 8 years, 3 from each state and Federal District); Chamber of Deputies (513 members directly elected for 4 years)
• State: Unicameral; state legislative assembly
• Municipalities: Chamber - directly elected councillors
• Judiciary:
• Supreme federal Court, Higher court of Justice, regional courts, labor courts, electoral courts, military courts, and state courts. Judiciary has financial and administrative autonomy. Most judges are appointed for life by President with the advice of Senate.
• Voting in Brazil is compulsory for all literate citizens over 18 and under 70, and optional for citizens who are aged 16 and 17, older than 70 or illiterate.
• Extremely fragmented party system; 70 parties (32 registered); top one got only about 12% votes.
• Its fragmented and personalized party system, authoritarian tendencies of head of the state, populism, corporatism, clientelism, and corruption pulls down the nation
End of Portuguese rule
1822, Dom pedro 1 declared himself emperor of Brazil, ending the Portuguese colony Rule
