The Brazilian Election of 1899

Abstract This chapter looks at the key role played by the 1899 election in sustaining political stability during the Brazilian First Republic, which was formally proclaimed on November 15, 1889, and lasted until October 1930, when it was brought down by a military coup. The chapter examines the extent to which the longevity of the First Republic can be explained by the circumstances that accompanied the 1899 election. In particular, the chapter studies the impact that the political arrangement that preceded the 1899 election, known as política dos governadores, had on the control of electoral results, party competition, and, in the long run, political stability.