ELECTIONS AND EXTREMISM IN BRAZIL: AN ANALYSIS OF HADDAD AND BOLSONARO’S GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS

ABSTRACT:

This article analyzes the 2018 presidential elections in Brazil based on the methodology developed by CMP-Marpor, reconciling theoretical and empirical approaches on extremism. The study asks about what content indicate that there was a polarized election in 2018 and can be considered markers of extremist political positions. In the qualitative analysis of government programs, we use a definition of polarization to examine government programs and to verify whether: there is dissent among candidates about the interpretation of Brazilian problems; the candidates' perspectives are irreconcilable; the candidate questions the political system and the rules of the game. In the end, we demonstrate that Jair Bolsonaro was an extreme right-wing candidate, but Fernando Haddad was a left-wing candidate, however not an extremist. Thus, we conclude that the 2018 election is an example of extremism, which in case of electoral success, opens space for trends that reinforce asymmetries in the national political scene.

Keywords:
Elections; Extremism; Ideology; Polarization; Right-wing populism