Federal Constitution is the set of fundamental laws that organize and govern the functioning of a country. It is considered the maximum and mandatory law among all citizens of a given nation, serving as a guarantee of their rights and duties.
The Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 is the current country legislation, created by a Constituent Assembly and officially promulgated on October 5, 1988.
In democratic countries, the drafting of a Constitution is done by the Constituent Assembly, and its participants are all chosen by popular election.
Learn more about meaning of constitution.
THE Federal Constitution of 1988 it became known as the "Citizen Constitution", as it marks the achievement of democracy among all citizens of the country, after years under a military dictatorship.
As the largest legislative body in the country, the Federal Constitution can only be amended after the approval of the so-called Constitutional Amendments, which serve to change or modify the text and interpretation of some aspects present in the Constitution. For the bill of a constitutional amendment (PEC) to be approved, it needs to go through a long process of appreciation, from the National Congress and Senate, to the choice of society, through referendums, by example.
The country's current constitution is the seventh since its independence in 1822. Since then, Brazil has had: Constitution of the Empire (1824), Constitution of the Republic of the United States of Brazil (1891), Brazilian Constitution of 1934, Brazilian Constitution of 1937 (nicknamed "Polish"), Brazilian Constitution of 1946, Brazilian Constitution of 1967 (derived from the 1964 Military Coup), and the Federal Constitution of 1988 (the "Constitution Citizen").
See also: meaning of Constitutional amendment and Constitutional principles.