The Brazilian national government is referred to as the Federal Government of Brazil. It is a democratic federative republic with a presidential system divided into three branches:
- the executive, overseen by the President and the cabinet
- the legislative, with powers bestowed by the National Congress
- the judiciary, empowered by the Supreme Federal Court
The Republic
The Brazilian federation is shaped by five fundamental principles: sovereignty, citizenship, dignity of human beings, the social values of labor and freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism.
Members of the executive and legislative branches of government are elected. Judges are appointed through entry exams. Brazil has a multi-party system using proportional representation.
Voting is compulsory for the everyone between 18 and 70 years old. Voting is optional for those who are illiterate and those between 16 and 18 or beyond 70 years of age.
The President
The President leads the executive branch and serves as the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces. The Constitution of Brazil details the presidential powers and responsibilities.
The President of Brazil has lawmaking powers, as well as the right to appoint and dismiss ministers of state, veto bills, maintain relations with foreign states, declare war, make peace, and abolish government positions.
The President serves a four-year term in office and may be re-elected for a single consecutive term.
The Cabinet, National Congress and Justices
The Brazilian Cabinet is made up of the Ministers of State and senior advisors to the executive branch. The President of Brazil appoints and dismisses Cabinet officers.
The National Congress consists of the Federal Senate (81 seats) and the Chamber of Deputies (513 seats). Proportional representation is used to elect federal deputies, who each serve four-year terms. There are currently 15 political parties in Congress.
Superior Court Justices are appointed by the President for lifelong roles (until the age of 70) and are approved by the Senate.