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The Constitution |
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After the monarchy was abolished, Brazil's first Constitution under the Republic (1891) established a presidential system and three independent powers: Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary. This structure was retained in Brazil's six subsequent republican constitutions, including the present Constitution, drafted by a specially empowered National Congress elected in 1984, and formally promulgated on October 5, 1988. The 1988 Constitution incorporates a great many new concepts ranging from environmental protection to increased powers for the legislature in its relationship with the Executive.
Brazil is a federative republic composed of 26 States and one Federal District where Brasília, the capital of the country, is situated. Each State has its own government, with a structure that mirrors the federal level, enjoying all the powers (defined in its own constitution) which are not specifically reserved for the Federal Government or assigned to the Municipal Councils. The head of the state executive is the Governor, elected by direct popular vote under the Federal Constitution. The one-chamber state legislature is a State Assembly. The state judiciary follows the federal pattern and has its jurisdiction defined so as to avoid any conflict or superimposition with the federal courts.
At the municipal level there are over 4,400 Municipal Councils that are autonomous in strictly local affairs. The Municipal Councils operate under the provisions of the Basic Law of Municipalities.
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