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that was seen to be experiencing a ‘Pink Revolution’ led by leaders of the politicalleft, potentially threatening to US interests.4.2.1. Institutional Arrangements for Foreign Policymaking: Party abovePolicy?The role of the LegislatureIn Brazil, legislative power is exercised by the National Congress. The Congress is atwo-house Chamber, comprised of a Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.Members of the Chamber of Deputies are directly elected and serve for 4-yearterms, while those of the Senate, also directly elected, serve for 8 years. Decisions ofeach house are by majority vote. Legislative power over the foreign policy processin Brazil tends to be more reactive than continuous. The legislature only possessesthe competence to “decide conclusively on international treaties, agreements orinternational acts which result in changes or commitments that go against thenational property”; 277 and to “authorise the President of the Republic to declarewar, to make peace and to permit foreign forces to pass through the nationalterritory…”. 278 Within the legislative branch of government, there are standingcommittees for foreign affairs in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.The treaty approval prerogative of the Senate was expanded by the 1988Constitution. All international financial agreements, such as those with the IMF andforeign banks, must be approved by the upper house, whereas prior to the 1988Constitution, approval by the executive was exclusively required. Therefore, Lulaentered the Palacio do Planalto with fewer executive powers over foreign policy thanhis immediate predecessor, Cardoso, and the Presidents of the military regimes, butthis did not necessarily hamper his grasp on foreign policy formulation.According to the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, Brazil’s international relations areto be governed by the following principles:• National independence277 Constitution of Brazil, 1988: Section I, Article 49.1, accessed online at:http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Brazil/english96.html#mozTocId732442 on 26July, 2010.278 Ibid., Article 49.2.126