Brazil

1. Brazil Country Study by: Derrien, Zach, Jelani, Tyler, Philip, and Satorria

2. History & Development • Founded by Pedro Alvares Cabral in year 1500. Portuguese claim land. • Started as empire with King authoritarian Ruling, resulting in Brazilian Slavery. • The Slavery was a vital part in Brazil’s foundation of economy. • Between 1888-1889 New system of Federal Republic was established

3. History & Development • Military Dictatorship Caused civil war • During World Wars helped fight as allies. • Great depression weakened economic growth • President vargas helped spread nationalism, and grew trade productions

4. History & development • Brazil had continuous cycle of Military leaders until 1985. • Currently the 3rd largest armed forces in the Americas, and largest in Latin America. • Recent law in 1997 for presidents to be re-elected • President decided to reduce value of currency in attempt to stabilize the failing economy. • Still known as a Developing country.

5. History & Development • 1727- first coffee bush was planted, Brazil brought in millions of slaves • The abolishment of slavery was a very crucial part in helping establish Brazil. • Had a total of 7 constitutions from 1824 to present. • The first constitution of Brazil was very similar to the US. • The second constitution allowed President Vargas to proclaim a dictatorship. • The third constitution was put in place after Vargas was overthrown by his war minister.

6. History and Development • The 4th constitution was put into place to try and consolidate the power of the president and limit the power of congress. • The 5th constitution was the first to give full political freedom. • The 4th and 5th were changed due to constitutional reform based on the institutional acts. • In the 6th constitution the president and the military was given more power. • The 7th and last constitution was adopted from scratch.

7. Political Regime • The form of government or the set of rules, cultural or social norms. That regulate the operation of a government or institution and its interactions with society. • Politics of Brazil take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is both head of the state and head of the government and operates on 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.

8. Political Regime • Operates on same political system as US • The federal government exercises control over over the central government and is divided into three branches executive, legislative and judicial. • The states are autonomoussub-national entities with their own governments that, together with the other federal units, form the Federative Republic of Brazil. • Currently, Brazil is divided politically and administratively into 27 federal units, being 26 states and one federal district.

9. Political Conflict & competition • It is necessary to primarily comprehend the way in which political competition is structured in order to understand the structure of the political field • In 2017, 71 people involved in land conflicts died violently, the highest yearly number since 2003, and from January to October 2017, 64 were killed, according to the Pastoral Land Commission of the Catholic Church. • Although Brazil participated in the Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70), most conflicts with neighboring countries were solved peacefully.

10. Political conflict & competition • Although there were many violent episodes, Brazilian history, on the whole, has been remarkably peaceful. • The transition from empire to republic in 1889 was also relatively smooth. There was no generalized civil war, but there were isolated events, such as the resistance of a millenarian group.

11. Political Economy • Over the past three years, government spending has amounted to 38.6 percent of the country’s output • 13.3% unemployment rate • $15,603 per capita • The combined value of exports and imports is equal to 24.1 percent of GDP. • Brazil is ranked 27th among 32 countries in the Americas region when it comes to economic freedom

12. Political Economy • President Dilma Rousseff 2011 • Raised minimum wage • Triggered inflation • Consumers cut back spending • Interest rates rose • Oil prices fell • Companies cut production and jobs • Increased inflation • Rousseff Impeached

13. Foreign Relations • Together with Chile and Austria, Brazil called, in August, for negotiating a treaty to retain meaningful human control over weapons systems and the use of force. • the Ministry of Foreign Relations continues to dominate trade policy, causing the country's commercial interests to be subsumed by a larger foreign policy goal, namely, enhancing Brazil's influence in Latin America and the world • It is the world’s biggest exporter of sugar, chicken, beef, and coffee.

14. Current Social Issues • Amazon fires • more than 80,000 fires so far this year, the most ever recorded by the country’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) • Police brutality • Crime • roughly 23.8 homicides per 100,000 residents, muggings, robberies, kidnappings and gang violence are common