Brazilian Political Corruption: An Analysis of the Cardoso-Lula-Rousseff Era - System of Patronage Dating Back to Colonial Brazil and Military Dictatorship with a Melting Pot of Political Parties

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What explains political corruption in Brazil today? With the impeachment of the most recently elected president and the conviction for corruption and money laundering of a previous president, these national-level cases have been rigorously addressed. The Brazilian politician's sense of impunity coupled with a system of patronage, dating back to Colonial Brazil, continues to plague the nation. Accountability in government spending and campaign financing seem to perpetuate the problem of political corruption. Such levels of corruption and its prosecution can be traced back to the early 1990s when Brazil's historically first popularly elected president, Fernando Collor de Mello, was impeached. Politically, Brazil is a melting pot of parties, all grasping for a piece of the control of the nation. Corrupt heads of state are only the tip of the iceberg to an even larger scandal-engulfed nation involving a spattering of politicians, members of Congress, and the presidential cabinets throughout the last two and a half decades.

I. INTRODUCTION * A. MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTION * B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION * C. LITERATURE REVIEW * 1. Defining Political Corruption * 2. Evolution of Political Corruption in Brazil * 3. Understanding Brazilian Political Corruption * D. POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS AND HYPOTHESES * E. RESEARCH DESIGN * F. THESIS OVERVIEW AND CHAPTER OUTLINE * II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT * A. INTRODUCTION: HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN BRAZIL * B. THE FERNANDO COLLOR DE MELLO ADMINISTRATION AND THE 1988 BRAZILIAN CONSTITUTION * C. MILITARY DICTATORSHIP, 1964-1985 * D. THE VARGAS ERA * E. COLONIAL BRAZIL * F. SUMMARY * III. FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSO'S ADMINISTRATION * A. KEY DATES * B. CARDOSO AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION * C. ANALYSIS * IV. LUIZ INACIO (LULA) DA SILVA'S ADMINISTRATION * A. KEY DATES * 1. From Poverty and Inequality * 2. Metalworkers Union * 3. Political Party Founder and Leader * 4. Direitas Jd (Direct Elections Now) Movement * 5. Election Failures and Successes * B. LULA AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION * C. ANALYSIS * V. DILMA ROUSSEFF'S ADMINISTRATION * A. KEY DATES * B. ROUSSEFF AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION * C. ANALYSIS * VI. FINDINGS, APPLICATION OF HYPOTHESES, AND CONCLUSION * A. FINDINGS * B. APPLICATION OF HYPOTHESES * C. CONCLUSION