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Governability And Accountability In Brazil: Dilemma Of Coalitional Presidentialism, Taeko Hiroi
Governability And Accountability In Brazil: Dilemma Of Coalitional Presidentialism, Taeko Hiroi
Taeko Hiroi
This article seeks to answer an important puzzle in Brazilian politics: What explains the legislative struggles and defeats by a president who holds a large congressional base? In the post-democratization period, most Brazilian presidents have amassed large congressional bases of support by forming governing coalitions comprised of various legislative parties. Conventional wisdom would indicate that large legislative bases would facilitate presidents to pursue their legislative agenda. However, successive presidents have faced legislative obstruction, gridlock, and defeats in Congress. This article shows how Brazil’s political institutions engender the perpetual need for presidents to create multiparty coalitions to navigate through the system …