Brazil is a federal republic with 26 states and a federal district. The 1988 constitution grants broad powers to the federal government, made up of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president holds office for 4 years, with the right to re-election for an additional 4-year term, and appoints the cabinet. There are 81 senators, three for each state and the Federal District, and 513 deputies. Senate terms are 8 years, staggered so that two-thirds of the upper house is up for election at one time and one-third 4 years later. Chamber terms are 4 years, with elections based on a complex system of proportional representation by states. Each state is eligible for a minimum of eight seats; the largest state delegation (Sao Paulo's) is capped at 70 seats. This system is weighted in favor of geographically large but sparsely populated states.
The Federal Constitution lists the forms of legal provisions, the most important of which are: (1) Amendments to the Constitution, that consists of changes to the constitutional text; (2) Supplementary Laws, which supplement the Constitution, by detailing a matter, without interfering with the constitutional text, and are admissible only in cases expressly authorized by the Constitution; (3) Ordinary Laws, which deal with all subjects, except those reserved to supplementary laws; and (4) Provisional Measures, which are issued by the President of the Republic in important and urgent situations, with a temporary nature, with the force of law, and must be submitted to the National Congress in order to go through the legislative process. After being examined by the National Congress, they shall be converted into an ordinary law if approved. If rejected, either tacitly or expressly, they lose effectiveness ex tunc, and the National Congress shall regulate the legal relations arisen therefrom.
The Federal Constitution lists the forms of legal provisions, the most important of which are: (1) Amendments to the Constitution, that consists of changes to the constitutional text; (2) Supplementary Laws, which supplement the Constitution, by detailing a matter, without interfering with the constitutional text, and are admissible only in cases expressly authorized by the Constitution; (3) Ordinary Laws, which deal with all subjects, except those reserved to supplementary laws; and (4) Provisional Measures, which are issued by the President of the Republic in important and urgent situations, with a temporary nature, with the force of law, and must be submitted to the National Congress in order to go through the legislative process. After being examined by the National Congress, they shall be converted into an ordinary law if approved. If rejected, either tacitly or expressly, they lose effectiveness ex tunc, and the National Congress shall regulate the legal relations arisen therefrom.