Representative government and democratization process in Brazil: electoral participation in 1900-1964

Abstract

This project investigates Brazil's democratization process, focusing on the trajectory of political participation and changes taking place in two specific dimensions: the extension of franchise (the increase in the number of voters) and the gradual emancipation of voters (coercion-free voting). The crucial moment of the breakthrough of democracy is already identified in the first dimension: the number of voters increased significantly after 1945 (NICOLAU, 2012; FAORO, 1989). However, there are no conclusive explanations for this phenomenon. The main hypothesis of this project is that the increase in the number of voters was the result of the intensification of political competition among parties after 1945. Regarding the second dimension, it is not clear when voters started casting their votes free of coercion and direct control by others, such as coronels and parties. This research will seek to identify the mechanisms leading to the emancipation of electoral behavior among the masses, investigating the hypothesis that the electoral rules created conditions for independent voting. Operationally, the study will focus on the federal electoral contests between 1900 and 1964. The main sources for mapping patterns of relationship between parties and voters will be disaggregated electoral data on the level of municipalities and documents reporting proceedings of contencioso eleitoral (that is, the process of electoral results validation and appeals' judgment). Besides the theoretical contribution, this project has the importance of analyzing original information about elections that predating the 1946-1964 democratic period.