Reverse parliamentarism

Reverse parliamentarism (Portuguese: *Parlamentarismo às avessas*) was the political system used in the Brazilian Empire during the Second Reign. Under this arrangement, the Conservative and Liberal parties took turns leading the executive branch, with the choice made by the Moderator. The system was modeled on British parliamentarism, but the hierarchy was reversed, which gave the system its name.

In the United Kingdom, the Crown selects a prime minister based on the majority in parliament and the advice of that majority. Parliament then confirms or rejects the choice. The prime minister, as head of government, runs the country and is answerable only to parliament, which can remove him if it sees fit.

In Brazil, the monarch waited for legislative elections and then appointed the President of the Council of Ministers from the party that held the majority in parliament. However, the 1824 Constitution did not require this; the emperor could choose any politician from any party for the post. As a result, the head of government was typically chosen or nominated before the elections, and he then organized the ballot. Because the electoral system relied heavily on fraud and the influence of local political bosses, the party in power usually secured a majority in the Chamber, confirming the emperor’s choice and maintaining a merely superficial alternation of power.

Decree No. 523, issued in 1847, created the position of President of the Council of Ministers (prime minister), who became the head of the executive branch and organized the government cabinet. From that point, the emperor no longer appointed all ministers directly; he appointed only the President of the Council, who then chose the other ministers in agreement with parliament. This arrangement removed a source of political strain from the monarch without reducing his authority.