Relações Executivo-Legislativo na Perspectiva da Medida Provisória no Brasil e do Decreto-Lei em Portugal | Executive-Legislative Relations from the Perspective of the Provisional Measure in Brazil and the Decree-Law in Portugal

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the relationship between the executive and legislative branches from the comparison between the presidential system adopted in Brazil and the semi-presidential system in force in Portugal. The research seeks to identify whether different systems of government produce different results in the capacity of the executive branch to intervene and direct legislative production. To produce a comparison between the two countries, the prerogative of the Brazilian president to produce Provisional Measures was used as an analysis variable and in the Portuguese case the production of Decree-Laws initiated by the Prime Minister. The research comprised the post-democratic period in the two countries, covering 26 years in Brazil and 37 years in Portugal. The results found demonstrate the high capacity that the Portuguese Prime Minister finds to direct legislative production, but this has not remained stable over time. In Brazil, the President’s ability to obtain legislative support for his initiative projects is quite precarious, but this resource has remained stable throughout the analyzed period.