National Congress Congresso Nacional | |
|---|---|
| 57th Legislature of the National Congress | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | |
| History | |
| Founded | 6 May 1826 |
New session started | 5 February 2024 |
| Leadership | |
Government Leader | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats |
|
 | |
Federal Senate political groups | Government (42)
PSD (15)
MDB (11)
PT (9)
PSB (5)
PDT (2)
Opposition (32) PL (12)
PODE (7)
PP (6)
Republicans (4)
PSDB (2)
Independents (7) UNIÃO (7) |
 | |
Chamber of Deputies political groups | Government (225)
MDB (43)
PSD (43)
PDT (18)
PSB (14)
PSOL REDE Fdr. (14) Avante (7)
Solidarity (5)
Opposition (117) PL (96)
PSDB Cidadania Fdr. (18) NOVO (3)
Independents (169) UNIÃO (59)
PP (50)
Republicans (40)
PODE (16)
PRD (4) |
| Elections | |
Federal Senate voting system | Plurality voting, alternating every four years between single-member elections (FPTP) and dual-member elections (Block voting) |
Chamber of Deputies voting system | Open list proportional representation (D'Hondt method) with a 2% election threshold[1] |
Last general election | 2 October 2022 |
Next general election | 4 October 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Nereu Ramos Palace, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil | |
| Website | |
The National Congress (Portuguese: Congresso Nacional) is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government. Unlike the state legislative assemblies and municipal chambers, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house). The Congress meets annually in Brasília from 2 February to 22 December, with a mid-term break taking place between 17 July and 1 August.[2][3]
The Senate represents the 26 states and the Federal District. Each state and the Federal District has a representation of three senators, who are elected by popular ballot for a term of eight years. Every four years, renewal of either one third or two-thirds of the Senate (and of the delegations of the States and the Federal District) takes place.[4][5] The Chamber of Deputies represents the people of each state, and its members are elected for a four-year term by a system of proportional representation. Seats are allotted proportionally according to each state's population, with each state eligible for a minimum of 8 seats (least populous) and a maximum of 70 seats (most populous). Unlike the Senate, the whole of the Chamber of Deputies is renewed every four years.[6]
Until recently it was common for politicians to switch parties and the proportion of congressional seats held by each party would often change. Seats belong to the parties and not to the politicians; one can only change parties and retain his or her seat in a very limited set of cases. Politicians who abandon the party for which they were elected now face the loss of their congressional seat.[7] Each house of the Brazilian Congress elects its president and the other members of its directing board from among its members. The President of the Senate is ex officio the President of the National Congress, and in that capacity summons and presides over joint sessions, as well as over the joint services of both houses. The President of the Chamber is second in the presidential line of succession while the President of the Senate (and of Congress) is third.
- ^ "Com dura cláusula de barreira, metade das siglas corre risco de acabar". O Tempo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 July 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ "Brazil – The legislature". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "The National Congress". Portal da Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Bruns, Axel; Enli, Gunn; Skogerbo, Eli; Larsson, Anders Olof; Christensen, Christian (22 December 2015). The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-50656-0.
- ^ Brazil - The legislature.
- ^ Ameringer, Charles D. (1992). Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s: Canada, Latin America, and the West Indies. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-313-27418-3.
- ^ Morgenstern, Scott; Nacif, Benito; Lange, Peter (4 March 2002). Legislative Politics in Latin America. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-79659-0.