This parliamentary discourse develops an historical-sociological analysis of the social, economic, and political conditions of Brazilian Constitutions’ political dimensions. These Constitutions are seen as projects of the dominant classes, whose object was the reorganization of civil society and the State. First, we will show that our first Constitution established a tradition marked by imported modernism, advanced juridical formalism and the exclusion of the majority of the working class from effective participation in the organization of society. Next, we will examine the dilemmas of the current National Constituent Assembly, which is divided between two opposing groups. One group is conservative and intends to bring about a more constitutional revision. The other is radical and aspires to do away with the illegal order, still persisting in the New Republic, which was established by the military dictatorship.
Brazilian Constitutions; National Constituent Assembly