Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

has a

multi-party system In political science, a multi-party system is a political system where more than two meaningfully-distinct political parties regularly run for office and win elections. Multi-party systems tend to be more common in countries using proportional ...

since 1979, when the country's military dictatorship disbanded an enforced

two-party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referr ...

and allowed the creation of multiple parties. Above the broad range of political parties in Brazilian Congress, the

Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...

(PT), the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

(PL), the Progressives (PP) and the Brazil Union (UNIÃO) together control the absolute majority of seats in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Smaller parties often make alliances with at least one of these five major parties. The number of political parties reached the apex of 35 on 2018, 30 of which were represented in congress after the 2018 general election. However, an

electoral threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of votes that a candidate or political party requires before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can operate in various ...

introduced on 2017 has resulted in the culling and merger of many parties, as it cuts access to party subsidies and free party political broadcasts. Brazilian parties have access to party subsidies in form of the ''Fundo Partidário'' () and the ''Fundo Eleitoral'' () for elections.Fundo Partidário (estudo)
. Por Miriam Campelo de Melo Amorim. Brasília: Biblioteca Digital da Câmara dos Deputados, outubro de 2005. And a system of free party political broadcasts during election time known as the ''horário eleitoral gratuito''. Since 1982, Brazilian political parties have been given an electoral number to make it easier for illiterate people to vote. Initially, it was a one-digit number: 1 for PDS, 2 for PDT, 3 for PT, 4 for PTB, and 5 for PMDB. When it became clear that there was going to be more than nine parties, two-digit numbers were assigned, with the first five parties having a "1" added to their former one-digit number (PDS becoming number 11, PDT 12, PT 13, PTB 14, and PMDB 15). Political parties often change their names, but they can retain their number. In terms of association, parties can form electoral coalitions and party federations. Since 2017, coalitions are only allowed in elections under the majority system. Therefore, political parties can unite in support for a presidential or senatorial candidate, for example. However, parties cannot form coalitions for the election of federal deputies, state deputies, and councilors. Coalitions are formed before the elections and do not oblige parties to remain together afterwards. Party federations, on the other hand, are legally different from coalitions in that they are longer-lasting, have a national scope, and require ideological unity. Unlike coalitions, the parties that make up a federation are treated as a single party in legislative activity and in elections; they are prohibited from acting independently in the legislative houses or from filing election-related lawsuits, as the federation has the sole legal standing to do so.

Active parties

Parties represented in the National Congress

Parties without representation in the National Congress

Extinct parties

This list presents the parties of the current Sixth Republic that were once recognized by the

Superior Electoral Court The Superior Electoral Court (, TSE) is the highest body of the Brazilian Election Justice, Brazilian Electoral Justice, which also comprises one Regional Electoral Court (Brazil), Regional Electoral Court (, TRE) in each of the 26 states and th ...

, but have ceased to exist. The existence of all these parties has ended by the result of mergers. * Democrats - DEM (''Democratas'') * Party of the Nation's Retirees - PAN (''Partido dos Aposentados da Nação'') * - PDC (''Partido Democrata Cristão'') * Democratic Social Party - PDS (''Partido Democrático Social'') * Workers' General Party - PGT (''Partido Geral dos Trabalhadores'') * Humanist Party of Solidarity - PHS (''Partido Humanista da Solidariedade'') * Liberal Party (1985) - PL (''Partido Liberal'') * Free Fatherland Party - PPL (''Partido Pátria Livre'') * Progressive Party (1993) - PP (''Partido Progressista'') * Reform Progressive Party - PPR (''Partido Progressista Reformador'') * Party of Reconstruction of the National Order - PRONA (''Partido de Reedificação da Ordem Nacional'') * Republican Party of the Social Order - PROS (''Partido Republicano da Ordem Social'') * Progressive Republican Party - PRP (''Partido Republicano Progressista'') * Social Christian Party - PSC (''Partido Social Cristão'') * Social Democratic Party (1987) - PSD (''Partido Social Democrático'') * Social Liberal Party - PSL (''Partido Social Liberal'') * Social Labour Party (1983) - PST (''Partido Social Trabalhista)'' * Brazilian Labour Party (1981) - PTB (''Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro'') * Renewal Labour Party - PTR (''Partido Trabalhista Renovador'') * Patriot (''Patriota'')

Historical parties

This list presents the parties that never reached the Sixth Republic. Due to the large number of parties that were dissolved, especially during the First and Second Republics, it is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

Imperial Brazil (1822–1889)

* Conservative Party (''Partido Conservador'') *

(''Partido Liberal'') * Progressive League (''Liga Progressista'')

First and
Second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
Republics (1889–1937)

* Paulista Republican Party - PRP (''Partido Republicano Paulista'') * Rio-grandense Republican Party - PRR (''Partido Republicano Rio-Grandense'') * Minas Gerais Republican Party - PRM (''Partido Republicano Mineiro'') * Fluminense Republican Party - PRF (''Partido Republicano Fluminense'') * Federal Republican Party (''Partido Republicano Federal'') * Conservative Republican Party - PRC (''Partido Republicano Conservador'') * Democratic Party (''Partido Democrático'') * Liberating Party - PL (''Partido Libertador'') * Brazilian Black Front - FNB (''Frente Negra Brasileira'') * Catholic Electoral League (''Liga Eleitoral Católica'') * Brazilian Integralist Action - AIB (''Ação Integralista Brasileira'')

Fourth Republic (1945–1964)

* National Democratic Union - UDN (''União Democrática Nacional'') * Brazilian Labour Party (1945) - PTB (''Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro'') * - PSB (''Partido Socialista Brasileiro'') * Orienting Labour Party - POT (''Partido Orientador Trabalhista'') * - PDC (''Partido Democrata Cristão'') * Social Democratic Party (1945) - PSD (''Partido Social Democrático'') * Republican Party - PR (''Partido Republicano'') * Popular Representation Party - PRP (''Partido de Representação Popular'') * National Labour Party - PTN (''Partido Trabalhista Nacional'') * - PST (''Partido Social Trabalhista'') * Social Progressive Party - PSP (''Partido Social Progressista'') * - PRT (''Partido Republicano Trabalhista'') * - MTR (''Movimento Trabalhista Renovador'')

Military Dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...
(1964–1985)

* National Renewal Alliance - ARENA (''Aliança Renovadora Nacional'') * - PP (''Partido Popular'')

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Political Parties In Brazil

Political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...