Democratic politics in Brazil advances in accountability mechanisms and regression in civil – military relations

The doyen of democratization studies and American policies in support of democratization globally, Professor Larry Diamond, recently published an article in The American Interest with the title “The Liberal Democratic Order in Crisis” in which the header correctly states the main message of the article. “We are at a tipping point. Around the world, many democracies are hanging by a threat and autocrats are preparing more savage assaults on what remains of freedom.” The focus in this chapter is on Brazil, and mainly on how democratic politics ironically has led to vast improvements in accountability mechanisms while leading to regression in civil – military relations. It is important to emphasize from the beginning of this chapter that the regression in civil-military relations, with implications for democracy, is due mainly to the dynamics of democratic politics and not the supposed nefarious plans and plots of the Brazilian Armed Forces