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The Complexity of the Political Climate of Brazil - Zpryme
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Austin, TX (ZPRYME NEWS) – 05/01/08 - The political climate of Brazil is one of the most complex politics which exposed Brazil to almost all possible kinds of electoral system. The transformation in the political climate of Brazil from a monarchic state to a democratic state was not an easy one. According to Country Studies on its study “Brazil - Government and Politics,” when Brazil gained its independence in 1822, it adopted a constitutional monarchy government. Brazil however retained a plantation economic system that is based on slavery and a limited political system. When Dom Pedro II was crowned as emperor sometime in 1840, the politics of Brazil evolved into a British model bi-party system in a centralized unitary system.
From 1840 to 1880, Brazil maintained political stability until it was unable to cope up with the military demands as well as the pressure for slave emancipation. From 1889 to 1930, the constitution of the Old Republic of Brazil was based on the constitution of the United States.
In another study of Country Studies on “Brazil Political Culture,” it mentioned that Brazil political system can be discussed in terms of its political culture which has evolved to three political styles. The traditional political style is called ‘coronelismo’, which depicted the control of the rural workers votes by large farmers called the ‘colonel’ who exchanged those votes to politicians for favorable appointments to politics or public works in municipios. After the First World War, Country Studies - Brazil - Government and Politics added that Brazil went through rural to urban transformation and agricultural to industrial transformation to which Brazil failed to cope up with working class’ demands. During this period, the transitional political style of ‘clientelism’ emerged under which system the problems of migrants to the medium and large cities were resolved by representatives of politicians in exchange of their votes. The third political style is to appeal directly to the voter without the mediation by clientelism or the domination by coronelismo.
Country Studies - Brazil- Political Culture added that after the 1930’s Vargas rose to power and started in 1934 corporatism as a political style which closely cooperated with the military and pushed for the import-substitution as an industrial policy. In 1937 to 1945, Vargas bunged the congress and became a dictator of Brazil. From 1945 to 1964, Brazil’s political style changed to democratic multiparty. The power was seized again by the military in 1964 and began a relative democracy rule for twenty years. In these years, the Congress was kept open but with very limited powers. In 1965, the multiparty system was changed to a bi-party system and to moderate pluralism. From 1974, Brazil went through the phase of "stagflation" which was simultaneous with its political liberalization. In 1985, government was transferred to a civilian president and from the years 1985 to 1997, Brazil went through four different political systems namely: return to clientelism, economic nationalism, neosocial liberalism- economic modernization, social nationalism, and social-democratic-neoliberal coalition in a consensus style.
Recently, in “Brazilian general election, 2006”, it was reported that the general elections was held for the positions of president, governors for Brazil’s 26 states and its federal district from which the Chamber of Deputies members and one-third of the Federal senate members will be chosen. Said elections were held in two rounds after no candidate garnered the majority during the first round. Incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won another four year term over Gerardo Alckmin.
Definitely, the political climate of Brazil is one of the world’s most complex political climates.
By
Zpryme: Emerging Markets Group
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