ThinkTankWeekly

Brazil’s Democracy Is in Trouble—It Has Been for a While

CATO | 2026-10-26 | society

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English Summary

The article argues that Brazil's democracy is fundamentally unstable due to chronic institutional failures and systemic political polarization. Key evidence centers on the selective and biased judicial interference, exemplified by the Supreme Court overriding the specialized Electoral Court during the recent presidential runoff. This pattern of judicial overreach and lack of institutional trust undermines the rule of law, suggesting that external policy and strategic planning must account for high political volatility and judicial instability when engaging with Brazil.

中文摘要

本文指出,由於慢性制度性失能和系統性政治極化,巴西的民主體制存在根本性不穩定。關鍵證據集中在選擇性且帶有偏見的司法干預,例如最高法院在最近的總統候選人競選中凌駕於專業的選舉法院之上。這種司法越權和制度信任度不足的模式,削弱了法治,暗示外部政策和戰略規劃在與巴西互動時,必須考慮其高政治波動性和司法不穩定性。

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