The Party Systems of Rio Grande do Sul: from the Empire to the New Republic

Abstract:

This paper presents the background of the party system of Rio Grande do Sul, from its predecessors in the first half of the 19th century to the present. In spite of occasions of political crisis and institutional transformations, the research shows how the old parties are present in the new political parties after 180 years of history. The research identifies the main features of the configurations of the political markets in the political history of the state, by showing the presence and absence of competition between political parties. The approach is based on secondary sources (historical research) and statistical data related to elections and to the parliament composition. Since the beginning of the Republic, after 1889, there had been six party systems with special features. The article presents a broad overview of party systems that crossed the history of RS, and helps to comprehend its political condition at the present time.

Keywords:
Rio Grande do Sul; Political Parties; Party System; Political History