The big democracy where lawmakers are mightier than the executive
A too-weak president can be a threat to democracy, too
In recent years, democracies worldwide have been increasingly manipulated by autocrats, especially those who have seized control of the executive branch while weakening legislative institutions. Brazil, however, presents an intriguing counterexample where the legislative branch has gained strength at the expense of the executive.
The country's Congress now commands 25% of discretionary spending in the federal budget, up from just 2% a decade ago. This shift in power has resulted in Brazilian lawmakers being so entrenched that they seem unconcerned about the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
