On Wednesday, 5 June 2024, the Australian Centre for Federalism (ACF) hosted an enlightening event, 'Brazil Update 2024: A Conversation with Experts on Brazilian Politics and Democracy', featuring Dr José Antonio Cheibub from the University of Pittsburgh.

The event was opened by Dr Tracy B. Fenwick, Director of ACF at the Australian National University (ANU), and featured a compelling 60-minute live discussion between Dr Cheibub and Dr Thiago Nascimento da Silva, Deputy Director of ACF (ANU).

Throughout the debate, several critical topics were addressed, including the state of democracy in Brazil and Latin America, the rise of extremist candidates, political polarisation, and the governing challenges faced by Brazil’s progressive government in a conservative, fragmented Congress. Other pressing issues discussed included environmental and economic politics, along with their domestic and international consequences.

The session concluded with a dynamic 20-minute Q&A, allowing the audience to engage directly with the experts. This interactive exchange provided valuable insights for ANU scholars and the Australian community into the complexities of Brazilian and Latin American politics and democracy.

Dr José Antonio Cheibub is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include democratisation and the origins and consequences of democratic institutions. He has previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Texas A&M University. Dr Cheibub is the author of four books, including the seminal 'Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, and Democracy' published by Cambridge University Press, and his most recent co-authored work, 'Parliaments & Government Formation' published by Oxford University Press. He has also contributed numerous articles to leading academic journals.