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Home > Politics
Politics
Government and
political system
Brazil
is a federative republic formed by 26 states and one Federal
District. The political
system is presidential (Brazilian presidents are elected for a 4-year
mandate). Each federal state
– and also the Federal District – elects by popular suffrage 3
senators for an eight-year mandate, renewed by a third every 4 years and by
two-thirds every 8 years. The
federal states are, in their turn, divided into municipalities governed by
a mayor and a House of Councilmen, also elected by popular ballot.
Brazil
is a democracy: Men and woman have equal rights and duties and no one is
obliged to do or refrain from doing something except by virtue of law.
Freedom of conscience and of belief is inviolable, the free exercise of
religious cults being ensured and, under the terms of the law, the
protection of places of worship and their rites is also guaranteed. The
expression of intellectual, artistic, scientific, and communications
activities is free, independently of censorship or license.
The Brazilian press enjoys freedom of speech and
access to information is ensured to everyone, the confidentiality of the
source being safeguarded, whenever necessary to the professional activity.
The right of reply is ensured, in proportion to the offence, as well as
compensation for property or moral damages or for damages to the image. The
practice of any work, trade or profession is free, observing the
professional qualifications that are established by legislation. Freedom of
association for lawful purposes is fully guaranteed. Other individual and
collective rights are also enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution, such as
the secrecy of correspondence, freedom of locomotion and gathering, the
right of property, protection of consumers, intellectual property, the
right to petition the Government against abuse of power, independent
judiciary, due process of law, and granting of habeas corpus and habeas
data.
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