Party Members or Congress Members? Legislators in Authoritarian Brazil

• In Event: Legislatures and Legislators in Authoritarian Regimes

Abstract

Party members or Congress members? The role of legislators in the Brazilian Authoritarian Regime. The Brazilian Congress remained open during most of the last Brazilian Authoritarian Regime (1964-1985). Despite being considered, both at the time and by later historiographic accounts, as a window-dressing body, previous works based on archival research show that legislators remained active and influenced policy outputs. Moreover, the political opposition to the regime was allowed some level of representation through this body, turning it into a venue for political opposition to be expressed and articulated. Why and how were legislators able to influence policy even in an authoritarian context? Were there differences in the strategies used and results achieved by pro-government and opposition legislators? Did the role of legislators vary depending on the policy area? To answer these questions this paper compares the patterns of activity exhibited by pro-government and opposition legislators regarding economic and institutional policy during the regime. In so doing, it focuses on the tensions generated by the demands placed on legislators by their dual roles as pro or anti regime actors and as members of Congress.

Author

• Emilia Simison, Queen Mary University of London