Doing Business In - Brazil
Government
Brazil has a presidential political system with three independent powers. These following branches of power are located in Brasília, the capital of Brazil:
Executive
Headed by the President of Brazil. The President and the Vice-President are elected for a four-year term and are allowed under the Constitution to serve for a second consecutive term. The President appoints the Cabinet of Ministers.
Legislative
The national legislature is the National Congress (Congresso Nacional) comprised of two houses, the Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) and the Federal Senate (Senado Federal). The number of members in the Chamber of Deputies from each state is proportional to its population. Deputies are elected for a four-year term by direct secret vote. The Senate is composed of three senators from each state, elected for a term of eight years.
Senatorial elections are staggered (one-third and then two-thirds) every four years, in elections held concomitantly with those for the Chamber of Deputies. A deputy and a senator can stand for re-election without restriction. There are 81 senators and 513 members of the Chamber of Deputies.
Judicial
This power is vested in the Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal), in the Superior Court of Justice (Superior Tribunal de Justiça), regional courts, and in specific courts for electoral, labor, military and other matters. The justices and judges of all the courts, at both the federal and the state levels, are appointed for life.
The head of the states is the governor, elected by direct popular vote. The chamber of the state legislature is a State Assembly, comprised of deputies elected by popular vote. The state judiciary follows the federal pattern and has its jurisdiction defined so as to avoid any conflict or superimposition with federal courts.
At the municipal level, each Brazilian city has a mayor and a city council. Voting is universal and compulsory for all literate citizens from 18 to 70 years of age. Voting is optional for citizens aged 16 and 17, for senior citizens above 70, and for illiterates of any age. 100% of the votes are cast in electronic voting machines. In national and regional elections, a candidate must receive an absolute majority to win the election. If none of the candidates receives the absolute majority, the two candidates with the highest number of votes compete in a run-off election (second round) held 20 days after the first election.
Executive
Headed by the President of Brazil. The President and the Vice-President are elected for a four-year term and are allowed under the Constitution to serve for a second consecutive term. The President appoints the Cabinet of Ministers.
Legislative
The national legislature is the National Congress (Congresso Nacional) comprised of two houses, the Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) and the Federal Senate (Senado Federal). The number of members in the Chamber of Deputies from each state is proportional to its population. Deputies are elected for a four-year term by direct secret vote. The Senate is composed of three senators from each state, elected for a term of eight years.
Senatorial elections are staggered (one-third and then two-thirds) every four years, in elections held concomitantly with those for the Chamber of Deputies. A deputy and a senator can stand for re-election without restriction. There are 81 senators and 513 members of the Chamber of Deputies.
Judicial
This power is vested in the Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal), in the Superior Court of Justice (Superior Tribunal de Justiça), regional courts, and in specific courts for electoral, labor, military and other matters. The justices and judges of all the courts, at both the federal and the state levels, are appointed for life.
The head of the states is the governor, elected by direct popular vote. The chamber of the state legislature is a State Assembly, comprised of deputies elected by popular vote. The state judiciary follows the federal pattern and has its jurisdiction defined so as to avoid any conflict or superimposition with federal courts.
At the municipal level, each Brazilian city has a mayor and a city council. Voting is universal and compulsory for all literate citizens from 18 to 70 years of age. Voting is optional for citizens aged 16 and 17, for senior citizens above 70, and for illiterates of any age. 100% of the votes are cast in electronic voting machines. In national and regional elections, a candidate must receive an absolute majority to win the election. If none of the candidates receives the absolute majority, the two candidates with the highest number of votes compete in a run-off election (second round) held 20 days after the first election.