Brazilian Legislators at Work: Constitutional Amendments as Electoral Strategy

Abstract

Abstract

Brazil's relationship with its constitution is significantly different from that of the United States. Brazilians have had eight different constitutions in less than 200 years, and each of these constitutional orders represented a rupture with existing state organization laws. Moreover, the promulgation of each of these, in their fundamental decisions, also contributed to the transformation of the electoral system by determining the extension of the electoral body, delineating eligibility criteria, changing existing party systems, and recomposing the elective powers. Aside from the obvious disruption resulting from developing, on average, a new constitution every 24 years, there were also several amendments and reforms to each of these constitutions while they were still in effect. Clearly, all these changes profoundly influenced the political system.