Brazil - Government
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Getúlio Vargas | 1930 | 1954 |
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Juscelino Kubitschek | 1956 | 1961 |
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Jânio Quadros | 1961 | 1961 |
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João Goulart | 1961 | 1964 |
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Humberto Castelo Branco | 1964 | 1967 |
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Artur da Costa e Silva | 1967 | 1969 |
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Emílio Garrastazú Médici | 1969 | 1974 |
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Ernesto Geisel | 1974 | 1979 |
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João Figueiredo | 1979 | 1985 |
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Tancredo Neves | 1985 | 1985 |
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Jose Sarney | 1985 | 1990 |
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Fernando Collor de Mello | 1990 | 1992 |
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Itamar Franco | 1992 | 1994 |
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Fernando Henrique Cardoso | 1995 | 2002 |
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Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva | 2002 | 2010 |
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Dilma Vana Rousseff | 2010 | 2014+ |
Brazil is a federal republic with 26 states and a federal district. The 1988 constitution grants broad powers to the federal government, made up of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president holds office for 4 years, with the right to re-election for an additional 4-year term, and appoints his own cabinet. There are 81 senators, three for each state and the Federal District, and 513 deputies. Senate terms are 8 years, staggered so that two-thirds of the upper house is up for election at one time and one-third 4 years later. Chamber terms are 4 years, with elections based on a complex system of proportional representation by states. Each state is eligible for a minimum of eight seats; the largest state delegation (Sao Paulo's) is capped at 70 seats. This system is weighted in favor of geographically large but sparsely populated states.
The apex of the judicial system is the Supreme Federal Tribunal. Its 11 Justices, including the Chief Justice, are appointed by the president to serve until age 70. Brazil is divided administratively into 26 states and a federal district, Brasilia. The framework of state and local governments closely parallels that of the federal government. Governors, elected for 4-year terms, have more limited powers than do their counterparts in the United States. This is due to the highly centralized nature of the Brazilian system. The limited taxing authority granted to states and municipalities -- the only territorial subdivisions of the states -- further weakens their power.
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