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Brazil is a state member of BRICS.
6.78
Full democracyFlawed democracyHybrid regimeAuthoritarian regime
55.36
GoodSatisfactoryProblematicDifficultVery Serious
Brazil is a democracy that holds competitive elections. The political arena, though polarized, is characterized by vibrant public debate. However, independent journalists and civil society activists risk harassment and violent attack, political violence is high, and the government has struggled to address crime and disproportionate violence against and economic exclusion of minorities. Corruption is endemic at top levels, and governmental transparency has decreased, contributing to widespread disillusionment among the public. Societal discrimination and violence against LGBT+ people remain serious problems.
Internet freedom in Brazil improved slightly during the coverage period, bolstered by a lack of technical attacks against media outlets and rights organizations seen in years past. Other developments protecting the rights of users included a decision to enshrine the protection of personal data in the constitution, the removal of some problematic provisions during legislative discussion on a “fake news” bill, and the Supreme Court’s quick nullification of new rules to keep social media platforms from removing content for violating terms of service and other policies. The health of Brazil’s online sphere has been eroded, however, by disinformation campaigns promulgated by President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, which flooded the online landscape ahead of the October 2022 general election; criminal defamation suits continue to be levelled against online journalists for their reporting; and physical attacks, sometimes fatal, for online speech still pose a threat to those covering sensitive issues online.
A major non-NATO ally of the United States, Brazil is a regional and middle power, and is also classified as an emerging power.
Categorised as a developing country with a high Human Development Index, Brazil is considered an advanced emerging economy,
having the tenth largest GDP in the world by nominal, and eighth by PPP measures, the largest in Latin America.
Brazil elects on the national level a head of state—the president—and a legislature.
The president is elected to a four-year term by absolute majority vote through a two-round system.
The National Congress (Congresso Nacional) has two chambers.
The Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) has 513 members, elected to a four-year term by proportional representation.
The Federal Senate (Senado Federal) has 81 members, elected to an eight-year term,
with elections every four years for alternatively one-third and two-thirds of the seats.
Brazil has a multi-party system, with such numerous parties that often no one party has a chance of gaining power alone,
and so they must work with each other to form coalition governments.
The politics of Brazil take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic,
whereby the President is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system.
The political and administrative organization of Brazil comprises the federal government,
the 26 states and a federal district, and the municipalities.