Download Federative Republic of Brasil

Federative Republic of
Brasil
Background
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Area – 8,511,965 sq km
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People
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186 million, 1.1% growth rate,
74% Roman Catholic, primary
language Portuguese (European
immigrants).
Government
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5th largest
9th economy
Federative Republic,
independence 1822, current
constitution 1988.
Economy
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619.7 billion (GDP)
1.579 trillion purchasing power
parity
Growth rate 2.4%
People
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Largest population in LA, 5th largest in the world.
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Population centers are in South/central region.
81% of population urban
Major cities: Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte
Diverse ethnic and cultural heritage:
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Portuguese (colonizers 16th C)
Africans
Other Europeans
Tupi and Guarani speaking indigenous
Intermarriage common
Class distinctions - strong national identification low racial
conflict
Largest population of Japanese outside Japan in Sao Paolo
Colonization
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1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral
1808 Dom Joao VI – Rio de Janeiro
1821 Dom Joao VI returns to Portugal
1822 Dom Pedro I (son) declares independence.
1831-89 Dom Pedro II (son) rules
1888 slavery abolished by Regent Princess Isabel.
1889 Dom Pedro II overthrown in coup – federal
republic established.
Political Institutions
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Federalism in Brasil:
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Central government (the union)
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State governments (26)
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Federal District – elects governor and District
Assembly (Brasilia)
Governor, lieutenant governor, and representatives to
unicameral state legislatures
Local governments (Municipios 5,513)
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Mayor, vice mayor, local councils ranging in
membership from 9-21 unless council for a city larger
than 1 million in population then councils are much
larger.
Executive
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Presidential Democracy
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President Head of State and Head of Government
Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (2002)
President and Vice President elected on joint slate
4 year terms with one re-election
Powers include legislative, budgetary, emergency
decree.
Legislature
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National Congress
“Balanced bicameralism”
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Both have power to initiate legislation
No clear domination of one over other
Senate (81) – 3 senators per state and Federal
District; staggered 8 year terms (every 4 years for
1/3 and 2/3rds).
Chamber of Deputies (513) – from all states and FD.
Size of state wide delegation based on population
with min/max 8-70.
Judiciary
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Courts constitutional mandates/rules
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Supreme Court
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1932 check on election corruption
Military courts
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Created in 1943 mediates between workers and employers (public and private)
Electoral Courts
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(33 - nominated by president, approved by Senate)
Federal Appeals Courts (regional)
Labor Courts
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(11 – nominated by president, approved by Senate)
Superior Court of Justice
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30 year service or age 70 limit
Competitive election, promotion by seniority and merit
No civilian jurisdiction
State Courts
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Enforce state constitutions/laws
Electoral Systems
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Three systems
Executives (President, Governors, Mayors >
200,000)
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Senators and Mayors of Cities (<200,000)
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Majority vote with runoff if no majority in first round.
First past the post (plurality rules).
Legislatures/councils
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Open list-proportional representation w/multi-member
districts.
Voters can influence candidate selection.
2002 Elections: A Dangerous Shift to
the Left?
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Reasons for Lula selection:
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Referendum on Cardoso administration
Urban (and south) liberals versus rural (north)
conservatives.
Age gap (youth – liberal)
Lula’s voters disillusioned middle class
Outcome: Worker’s party gained status as the
largest delegation to the Congress – 18% of
the total (594 – 513 and 81).
Economics: Neo-liberalism or Social
Democracy?
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The political-economic philosophy de-emphasizing/rejecting
government intervention in the domestic economy.
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Brasilian governmental steps
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Domestic focus: free-market, few restrictions on business, and property
rights.
International focus: opening foreign markets (using economic pressure,
diplomacy, and/or military intervention).
Sold state corporations, deregulated, removed tariffs, removed
restrictions on DFI (long term investment by a foreign investor in
enterprise resident in an economy other than that in which the foreign
direct investor is based).
Government spending as percent of GDP higher than NL, with
increases in health and education (social democratic economic
policy?)
Successes and Failures: Economics
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1968-1974 Brazilian military directed economic industrial shift.
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Attracted DFI
GNP doubled
Annual economic growth 11%
1974 OPEC embargo crippled Brazil (80% dependent on
foreign oil).
Military Government response:
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Foreign borrowing
1975 Pro-Alcohol program
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Negative interest loans to agribusiness
Outcomes:
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Indebtedness/inflation until 1994 – Real Plan (neo-liberal reforms)
Ethanol only (1980) cars to Flex Fuel (2006)
Successes and Failures: Income and
Education
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Income inequality severe
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Wealthiest 10% command 52% of income.
Poorest 20% command 2% of income.
81% of Brazilians have television but 13% are
illiterate.
Only 27 million of 63 million workers pay into the
state social security system.
Labor force participation:
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Women: 44% are economically active.
Half total work 40-48 hours/week.
Quarter of total work more than 49 hours/week.
Successes and Failures: Diversity and
Discrimination
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Uneven economic development across regions
Class stratification by race and region
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Black 6%
39% mixed race:
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Parda/mulata (black-white)
Mestica/mameluca (white-indigenous)
Cafuza (black-indigenous)
Indigenous
Asian (less than 1%)
Regional underdevelopment:
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Northeast (poorest, 28% of pop), North and Center-West
(underdeveloped, rainforest, low population), Southeast (most
developed, 43% pop, 3/5ths national wealth), South.