BRAZIL

Interest Groups & Government Structure

Corporatism – • Tendency to divide society into different bodies (corpus) or corporations according to specific functions or profession. • Identity of individuals to their particular body is often times stronger than to the nation.

Some Consequences of Corporatism in Brazil

• Military officers in particularly frequently display more loyalty to their military institutions than to government or national civilian leaders.

• Tendency has also been strong among members of another important social institutions – the Catholic Church.

Historically supportive of power structure

Base communities and Liberation theology (1970’s)

Conservative counter-offensive

National Conference of Brazilian Bishops

Bacilica of Aparecida

Military clash with imperial power weakens the monarchy

Impact of experience in World War II

National Security doctrine and the military government◦ Economic development◦ Internal security◦ Geopolitical supremacy

in South America Constitution of 1988 –

more conventional role

Arms Industry

Unions◦ Originally tied to the Ministry of Labor◦ Lula and the São Paulo steel workers

Agrarian Arena◦ Traditional authoritarianism of landed elite◦ Movement of Landless Rural Workers attempt

to change the rural power structure

Less prominant in the 1988 constitution than other interst groupings

Federative Association of São Paulo Industrialists (FIAP)

Multinational corporations ◦ U.S. Based◦ European based◦ Japanese based◦ China based

Frente Negra Brazileira (1931◦ First explicitly

political African-Brazilian organization

◦ Opposed immigrants on the grounds that they foreigners

◦ Gétulio Vargas demoblized the FNB after he imposed O Estado Novo

1932 Frente Negra Sao Paulo

Elitist mobilization Early identification of masses in Carnival

groups Laid basis for African-Brazilians as a political

interest group

Classic thesis of Gilberto Freyre (1933) “There is no color bar to advancement,

there is no social bar to advancement” Persistence of stereotypes

◦ Carnival in the 1990’s◦ Shifting sands metaphor ◦ “Whitening” policy

◦Black males – wages 40% lower than white males

◦Black females – wages 75% lower than those of white males

Afro-Brazilian movement of the 1970’s born around cultural – as opposed to political issues ◦ Salvador as the geopolitical focus of African-

Brazilian mobilization◦ “Black Soul” phenomenon – focus on music◦ Instituto de Pesquisa das Cultural Negras (Rio de

Janeiro)

Exercise of leadership at local level but few African-Brazilian leaders at state and national level

New generation of African-Brazilian leaders continues to have mixed feelings toward the Brazilian state

Brazilian political culture still tends not to recognize political organizational focus other than class

International influences

Linkages to bureaucracy remain important

Elections increase the political weight of mass-based interest groups

Style remains more participatory than representative

Esplanade of the National Ministries

Brazilian state: 1988 Constitution

Three levels of government◦ Federal (national)◦ Regional (state)◦ Local (municipio)

Imperial power centered in Rio (1823 – 1889)

Federal power weak between fall of empire (1889) and advent of O Estado Novo (1937)

Centralization at Brasilia under the military regime (1964-85)

Federal government currently receives roughly 75% of total governmental revenue

1988 constitution: continues over-representation of small states

Half of tax revenue returned to states with no mandates as to how money will be spent◦Assists in maintaining clientilism at local level◦Congressmen tasked with “bringing home the

bacon”Gov. Itamar Franco’s (Minas Gerias)

challenges to the national executive ) Courts established the supremacy of federal

government in matters of contracting foreign debt

◦ President is both the head of state and the head of government.

◦ President and vice president are elected jointly for four-year terms.

◦ Military regime broadly amplified the powers of the executive branch.

Patterned on U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers

President elected directly by people◦ Second round if no candidate receives majority

on first round Bicameral Congress

◦ Chamber of Deputies (513 members)◦ Senate: Three members from each state and the

Federal District (81 members) Supreme Court (power of judicial review) Federalism

Formal powers among the most sweeping in Latin America◦ Veto legislation (wholly or in

part) ◦ Can initiate legislation –

including public spending◦ Can force congress to take up legislation deemed urgent

Multi-party system forces president to build coalitions

Bicameral (balanced) ◦ Senate (81)

Three from each state Three from Federal District

◦ Chamber of Depties (513) Minimum of 8 – Maximum

of 70 Overrepresentation of the

Northeast Senators

◦ Elections are held every four years alternatively for one third and two-thirds of the Senate.

◦ Deputies can initiate legislation

Composition ◦ Supreme Court, ◦ Superior Court,◦ five regional federal

appeals courts, ◦ labor courts, ◦ electoral courts, ◦ military courts◦ and state courts.

Constitution stipulates criteria for ◦ Entry into judicial

service = competitive exam

◦ Promotion = by seniority and merit

◦ Mandatory retirement = age of 70 or after 30 years of service

Seniority and merit in selection

Capability to limit governmental authority◦ Judicial review

evolving ◦ End state of siege ◦ Try president for

wrongdoing Not yet tested Collor resigned

before going to trial

Federal District (Brasilia)

Twenty-six states ◦ elected

governors◦ unicameral state

legislatures◦ receive 21.5%

of total revenue – much from Federal government

Municipalities (municipios) similar to counties in the United States◦ Elected Prefects (mayors) and vice mayors◦ Local councils

5513 local municipalities 22.5% of revenue goes to the municipios

The Constitution ◦ Extends the traditional guarantees of individual rights

to social groups◦ Prohibits discrimination against minorities◦ Grants parties, unions, and civic associations legal

recourse against the actions of other social actors and permits them to challenge before the Supreme Court the constitutionality of legislation and administrative rulings.

◦ Presidential limits when invoking a state of siege◦ Judicial review◦ Ministerio Publico (Public Prosecution)◦ Tribunal de Contas

Strengthened by transfer of power from government of center-right (Cardoso) to the left (Lula)

Economic growth leading to increased wealth

Success in upward international mobility Highly unequal distribution of wealth

remains a challenge to the legitimacy of current regime