Democracy in Brazil: Origins, Problems, Prospects
DEMOCRACY IN BRAZIL: ORIGINS, PROBLEMS, PROSPECTS Frances Hagopian and Scott Mainwaring Working Paper #100 - September 1987 Frances Hagopian is an Assistant Professor of Government and of Social Studies at Harvard University. She was a fellow and guest scholar at the Kellogg Institute 1984- 1987. Scott Mainwaring is an Assistant Professor of Government and a member of the Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of The Catholic Church and Politics in Brazil 1916-1985 (Stanford University Press, 1986). The authors wish to thank Caroline Domingo, David Fleischer, Antonio Kandir, Tony Messina, Silvia Raw, and Sherle R. Schwenninger for their generous assistance in preparing this paper. It has also appeared as an article in World Policy Journal, Summer 1987. ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the origins and problems of and prospects for democracy in Brazil. While Brazil has successfully passed from authoritarian to democratic government, it has yet to develop a well-defined and institutionalized democratic regime. Political institutions, particularly the legislature and the political parties, sometimes function a s instruments of authoritarian rule rather than pillars of a democratic order. Many leading politicians of the current government, most notably President José Sarney, loyally served the military regime, and the military retains veto power over key legislation. Most important policy measures do not receive public or party debate, but are decided by bureaucrats in economic and planning ministries or in the central bank. Immense political, economic, and social inequalities persist, and the servicing of an onerous foreign debt constrains possibilities for economic growth and for improving maldistribution of income.
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