Federal Senate: what is it, function, members, election

O federal Senate it is one of the legislative houses that form the National Congress and considered its Upper House. The Senate is part of the Legislative Power, acting at the federal level, as the Chamber of Deputies (Lower House). It is headquartered in Brasília, the federal capital.

The Federal Senate is composed of 81 members, totaling three senators or senators for each state in Brazil and the Federal District. They are chosen through election, and the majority criterion is used for the renewal of vacancies. Senators and female senators are entitled to a term of eight years.

Read more: State deputy — political position representing the state legislature

Topics in this article

  • 1 - Summary about the Federal Senate
  • 2 - What is the Federal Senate?
  • 3 - Role of the Federal Senate
  • 4 - Election of the members of the Federal Senate
  • 5 - Composition of the Federal Senate

Summary about the Federal Senate

  • It is one of the legislative houses of the National Congress.

  • It is considered the Upper House of the National Congress.

  • It is composed of 81 senators and senators, three for each Brazilian state and the Federal District.

  • Its members are elected for an eight-year term.

  • It has numerous functions in addition to legislating and supervising the Executive, how to authorize presidential appointments.

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What is the Federal Senate?

The Federal Senate is the legislative house that hosts the work From senators and senators, being where the legislative work is carried out in our country at the federal level. The Senate is part of the National Congress, where the Chamber of Deputies is also located. Together, the Senate and the Chamber make up the bicameral system of the Brazilian Legislature.

The Federal Senate is occupied by 81 senators, elected to represent their states, and each Brazilian state, in addition to the Federal District, has the right to elect the same number of senators. Each entity of the federation can elect a total of three senators and/or senators, and the popular vote is the criterion for this election.

Despite being part of the Legislative Power and forming the National Congress together with the Chamber of Deputies, we will see that the Federal Senate has different functions from those of the deputies, although it also has functions similar to those of the their. The different attributions of the Senate make it understood as a Upper Chamber, while the Chamber of Deputies is the Lower Chamber.

The Federal Senate is located in Praça dos Três Poderes, in the federal capital, Brasilia. This city has hosted the Legislative Power of Brazil (formed by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies) since its foundation in 1960. We will see, throughout this text, that senators, as members of the Legislative, act by legislating, supervising the Executive, in addition to having judgment and appointment functions.

Function of the Federal Senate

The role of the Federal Senate corresponds to that of its members: senators and female senators. The Senate has some responsibilities very similar to those of the Chamber of Deputies. Its members act, for example, legislating and supervising the Executive, as is the case with Members of Parliament federal.

As legislators, the Senate receives bills approved by the CâMara dos Deputies, doing analysis and review them to determine if changes are needed. If the Senate indicates that a bill should be modified, it returns to the Chamber of Deputies, so that the changes are carried out and the bill is considered again.

In addition, senators Actm in drafting bills, and, as in the Chamber of Deputies, these projects are analyzed by members of the Senate, debated and voted on. If they are approved in the Senate, they are forwarded to the president can sanction or veto them.

They also act in the supervision of the Executive and they can intervene whenever they understand that irregularities are being committed by the government. The Federal Senate also authorizes appointments by the president to positions of great importance, such as ministers of the Federal Supreme Court.

It's the senators' job organize a sabbath to identify whether the selection of the president for the position in question is acceptable. In the Federal Senate, people who occupy certain positions are judged, such as those of Attorney General of the Union, Attorney General of the Republic, commanders of the Armed Forces, among others. Finally, the house authorizes large financial transactions of Executive.

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Election of members of the Federal Senate

The Federal Senate is composed by popular election. The members of the Legislative Power, in general, are elected through the proportional system, but this does not happen for the composition of the Federal Senate, because the criterion used to elect senators and senators is the majority system.

Thus, those who obtain the largest number of votes in the dispute are elected to the Federal Senate. That election is held every four years and is partially renewed the composition of that legislative house. Therefore, in one election, 1/3 of the house is renovated, and in the other, 2/3.

It is important to mention that the office of the members of the Senate, the senators and senators, lasts for eight years. Brazil's electoral legislation allows a senator or senator to try to be re-elected to her office as many times as she wants.

Composition of the Federal Senate

The Federal Senate, like the Chamber of Deputies, has a Board of Directors, responsible for organizing debates and voting in the Plenary. This Bureau is elected by the senators themselves and has a two-year term. Altogether, it is made up of a president, first vice-president, second vice-president, in addition to four secretaries and four alternates.

Within the Federal Senate, there are also commissions, whose function is similar to the commissions that exist in the Chamber of Deputies. There are permanent and other temporary committees, in addition to mixed ones, formed by members of the Senate and the Federal Chamber.

image credits

[1] edusma7256 and shutterstock

by Daniel Neves
History teacher

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