The Great Restoration: Contemporary Brazil

unified under a Constitutional Monarchy

Minerva University

AH50: Multimodal Communications

Prof. Powers

November 14, 2021

 You are buying a gift for your newborn niece, and there are two stores you could go to —

one is called “The first lady’s daughter,” and the other is the “Princess’ Daughter”. Which one

would you choose?

The answer is clear. There is a reason why children’s stories all have princesses and

princes, queens and kings. It is magical. Grandiose. It calls for our need to be divine, toying with

our fantasies and the hope that, one day, we too will be great.

And for a country that has no prospect of thriving, Brazil needs to turn its eyes to the past

to fully understand its future.

As a Brazilian, I know there is no Brazil, but many “Brazils”. Each with its own

idiosyncrasies, culture, and socioeconomic development. There is no clear sense of what it

means to be Brazilian, after all, soccer, samba, and parties — all bread and circus — are not

sufficient to make more than 200 million people hold hands in the name of the “beloved

motherland”1. Nothing bonds us together anymore to believe in our country. The current republic

is a disaster, providing no unified front to overcome our differences since it should not have

prevailed in the first place. Brazil, then, will only reach its potential as an empire if united under

the Imperial Family2 that is as present in Brazilian society as it was centuries ago, epitomizing

compassion, simplicity, and hardwork3.

1 #audience: I am writing this argumentative essay to well- educated Brazilians that want to participate in decision-
making. Because the government’s motto can be translated to “Beloved Motherland, Brazil”, I make a clear
reference to appeal to the government’s derisory appeal to a false sense of nationalism.
2 #psychologicalexplanation: The difference in the way I capitalized terms related to the republic and the Monarchy
was on purpose. I am toying with my audience’s perception of which regime is more imposing than the other. Words
related to the Monarchy always appear with the first letter in caps lock, creating a contrast between the “boring”
republic.
3 #thesis: Because of the connotation of the word Monarchy, the topic is controversial, especially in times where the
population is so polarized. As I later will introduce in the essay, about 10% of the population voted in favor of the
royal family in 1993, making this thesis arguable.
 Delving into modern-day Brazil, citizens are struggling to make ends meet. More than

12% of the population lives below the poverty line (Neri, 2021) with unemployment reaching

14% (IBGE, 2021). And we are divided between left and right, democracy and authoritarianism.

Ipsos’ Global Survey on political divide demonstrates that Brazil is 20% more polarized than the

global average (Ipsos, 2018). This only quantifies what Brazilians already know: the government

failed to keep the country’s head above water. President Jair Bolsonaro's constant public

endorsement of the military dictatorship puts into question our democracy, as we fear the

imminence of another coup. What we fail to realize, however, is that a republic is not

synonymous with democracy — look at North Korea — nor is a Monarchy synonymous with

authoritarianism — look at Norway. But centuries of history prove that Monarchies in a very

diverse society are the only source of reference and commonality (Gerring et al., 2020). When

there are many differences in a country, strong leadership provides a focal point, just like there

cannot be multiple captains guiding a ship. The Imperial Family is the magnet that unifies the

Brazilian population.

If it was the will of the people, Brazil would never have been a republic. Just skim

through a History book — it seems a bit sketchy. How can a Monarchy at the prime of popularity

after abolishing centuries of slavery be overthrown a year later? November 15, 1889, was just a

random day with a random parade, where people watched it “bestialized, astonished, surprised,

not knowing what it meant” (Quadros, 2017). The proclamation was an elitist act from slave

owners in which the general public had no intention of partaking. If we assume that the people’s

will makes a country democratic, then the republic was never democratic in the first place. The

coup plotters were digging deeper into the abyss between the elite and the rest of the population.

A century later, a plebiscite would revive this discussion; only 10.25% voted in favor of the
Monarchy (Quadros, 2017). However, this number is high considering that the Royals were not

allowed to campaign for their cause. Even without a proper campaign and their faces glued into

everyone’s mind, the Monarchy remained popular, which leads me to my next point.

The Monarchy is still a wise grandparent that supports the current society. Take the flag

as an example, the unmistakable blue, green, and yellow. It is not green because of our forests, or

yellow because of our gold, or blue because of our sky. The colors represent the royal family’s

official colors -- green for the Braganças and yellow for the Habsburgs. Look at figures 1 and 2.

4
Figure 1 Figure 2

The Imperial Flag The Brazilian Flag

Note: The flag used during the Note: The current Brazilian flag

Brazilian Empire from 1822 to 1889. designed in 1992.

The federal government acknowledges that the current flag (Figure 2) was inspired by the

Empire’s flag (Figure 1) (Planalto, 2019)5. Since the people did not partake in the proclamation

of the republic, its legitimacy depended on the previous government, forcing republicans to
4 #composition: I first introduced the republican side of the argument for most of the essay. However, I opt to
introduce the Empire’s flag first because of its visual effects. Since the yellow diamond touches the border of the
rectangle and shades of green and yellow are stronger, it makes the monarchy’s symbol pop up, creating the illusion
that the monarchy is more imposing than the republic that seems considerably smaller and insignificant
5 #evidencebased: This is the current government’s website page that explains the various symbols of the country,
including the flags and the anthem. I used it to prove that even the opposition recognizes how the monarchy is
valuable.
appeal to people's respect for the Imperial flag. Similarly, we could not let go of our Imperial

national anthem composed by our emperor Dom Pedro I, now sheepishly calling it the

“independence anthem” (Planalto, 2019). Once again, the federal government is legitimized by

the previous regime. The Monarchy was so crucial that it became the reason for the republican

government to have a claim, even if fragile, to legitimacy. It seems that if a regime needs support

from the previous power, it is disastrous in uniting the population. Logically, the only system

that has a rightful claim to protect its people is the Monarchy.

Brazil is only 521 years old, but for 75% of its existence, it had an Emperor on the

throne. For some of us, the idea of a king is pompous and archaic. That is, in itself, not

understanding the institutions’ socio-psychological relevance. Monarchies have advantages.

They provide us with the fantasy the contemporary world has deprived us of. Hazell and Morris

(2020) claim that a republic will never bring the glamor and stardust of royalty, as it embodies

national values and brings joy. Even if secretly, we aspire to be great and want our countries to

thrive too. We want something that proves that our lives are worth living. Monarchies also bring

economic development. Wharton’s Professor Mauro Guillen (2018) claims that Monarchies

across the world increase citizens’ per capita income by 1,500 USD annually. The myth that

Monarchies do not generate economic growth is now dismissed. Indeed, Brazil thrived the most

during the reign of Dom Pedro II with its coffee economy (Barros Jr et al., 2018). Brazil will also

thrive under the leadership of a Constitutional Monarchy. Moreover, monarchies allow for

systemic change because the imperial family is suprapartisan. It does not have political

ideologies, nor can it support a particular party or candidate. The Poder Moderator (moderator

power) served as the fourth political branch used to “safeguard the constitutional order whenever

it would protect the people’s will”, avoiding the tyranny of the Executive power that would often
protect its interests (Lynch, 2005). In other words, the Monarch serves the people, acting as a

mediator between dissension caused by assemblies and surviving on the respect for the people.

Because a Constitutional Monarchy’s power and legitimacy in the 21st century are now

based on the people’s will, the royal family embodies shared cultural values, serving as a role

model. Centuries ago and even now, the Brazilian people are simple, hardworking, and

compassionate. The Brazilian court never reflected the pomp and splendor of St. James or

Versailles; Dom Pedro II was “simple, democratic in his tastes, hating all displays and

ostentation, and accessible to even the humblest of his subjects” (Martin, 1921). Never could a

population identify so much with its ruler. Empress Leopoldina did not fall short. Her Austrian

education guided her with the principles of discipline, piety, and sense of duty, and the people

loved her for her charity. In her journals, she vows to “indulge in no unnecessary expenses that

interfere with the household budget, but shall give as many alms as possible and shall avoid

trivialities so that [she] may help the poor 6” (Kaiser, 2021). She was compassionate,

hardworking, and simple. The Federative government is quite the opposite: it built its own city,

Brasilia, in the 1960s, giving the president not one but two palaces — the Alvorada Palace and

the Planalto Palace. In 2020, the executive power spent more than BRL 15 million on condensed

milk (Painel De Compras, 2020). As an antithesis to the Monarchy, the government’s

extravagance belittles a population on the verge of starvation. But that is not surprising, after all,

it is a truth universally acknowledged that politicians have a reputation for being corrupt. When

is a politician charitable if not in an election year?7

6 #sourcequality: Instead of researching how the Brazilian monarchy was perceived, I used Empress Leopoldina’s
diary entries in Brazil as a primary source to how she believed it was the best way to behave. This reflected her
uttermost thoughts because she did not expect anyone to read them.
7 #organization: The challenge of my argument is to 1) discredit the reputation of the republic, and 2) explain why
the monarchy is the best alternative. I created disappointment and frustration by telling the current state of the
country and then implying that the monarchy is a source of hope. The contrast takes place with the first paragraphs
being focused on the republic and the last paragraphs on the monarchy.
 If the South American giant is ever to awake at full force, it should acknowledge its

power, one that comes from the people. As Appiah claims in his book “The Lies That Bind”, we

can create and recreate our identities as we see fit (Appiah, 2018). Our identity as Brazilians will

only be more inclusive when we are finally unified under a Monarchy that works for the

country’s best interests. I want my children to say that they come from not the inept federative

republic, but from the dignified Empire of Brazil because, as we all know, quem é rei nunca

perde a majestade8.

Word count: 1499

8 Can be translated to “once king, always king”.

 References

Appiah, K. (2018). The lies that bind: rethinking identity, creed, country, color, class, culture

(1st ed., pp. 218-219). New York City: Liveright Publishing Corporation.

Discusses why we have to rethink identity in the 21st century, and how it is not as easy as it

seems. The author uses a series of examples from historical events to historical events,

almost making this book an autobiography. He writes to a general educated audience from

the Global North.

Barros, F., Ferreira, A., Marcondes, R., & Prioste, R. (2018). Coffee exports and industrialization

in Brazil. Applied Economics Letters, 26(9), 712-716. doi: 10.1080/13504851.2018.1489498

Explores the correlation between coffee exports and machinery exports in Brazil from 1869

to 1939. Through a cointegration and directional causality, concludes that coffee exports

generated capital growth and machinery imports.

Gerring, J., Wig, T., Veenendaal, W., Weitzel, D., Teorell, J., & Kikuta, K. (2020). Why

Monarchy? The Rise and Demise of a Regime Type. Comparative Political Studies, 54(3-4),

585-622. doi: 10.1177/0010414020938090

Proposes a unified theoretical explanation for the rise and decline of monarchy as the

dominant form of rule in the pre-modern area. Argues that the monarchy offered an efficient

solution to diverse and large societies but declined with the rise of communication

technology, allowing citizens to coordinate and communicate with one another. Tests
 observable implications of territory size, political stability, tenure in office, conflict, and the

role of mass communication.

Guillén, M. (2018). Symbolic Unity, Dynastic Continuity, and Countervailing Power:

Monarchies, Republics, and the Economy. Social Forces, 97(2), 607-648. doi:

10.1093/sf/soy037

Investigates the implication of traditional patterns of state organization — monarchies —

through an analysis of property rights in monarchies and republics. Argues that monarchies

protect property rights more, making citizens have higher annual earnings per capita due to

three main principles.

Hazell, R., & Morris, B. (2020). European Monarchies: Guardians of Democracy?. The Political

Quarterly, 91(4), 841-845. doi: 10.1111/1467-923x.12866

Contradicts overall perception that monarchies end up becoming republics by analyzing eight

main European countries in a comparative study. Argues that monarchies can be democratic

because of the delivery of politically impartial heads of state, enduring government and

popular support. Republicanism endangers monarchies due to the relentless intrusion of

modern media in the Royal Family’s private life.

IBGE. (2021). Unemployment. Retrieved 14 November 2021, from

https://www.ibge.gov.br/explica/desemprego.php\

Government source that provides and explains the causes and implications of unemployment

in Brazil in 2021.
Ipsos. (2018). BBC Global Survey: A World Divided?. Retrieved from

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2018-04/bbc_global_survey-

the_world_divided-2018.pdf

Research promoted by the Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute on how polarized the world

is. Takes into account an analysis of 27 countries with a total 19,428 interviews were

conducted between 26 January – 9 February, 2018

Kaiser, G. (2021). A Portuguese fairy-tale prince?. Retrieved 14 November 2021, from

https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/portuguese-fairy-tale-prince

Tells the story of Empress Leopoldina as she married the crown prince of Brazil and

Portugal, including pieces of her journal entries translated to English.

Lynch, C. (2012). The Brazilian Empire as the true Republic: Joaquim Nabuco's project of a

republican monarchy. Lua Nova: Revista De Cultura E Política, (85), 277-311. doi:

10.1590/s0102-64452012000100008

Dismantles the misunderstanding of Joaquim Nabuco’s loyalty to the monarchy through an

analysis of his writings published between 1888 and 1896. Concludes that Nabuco was

actually a republican.

Martin, P. (1921). Causes of the Collapse of the Brazilian Empire. The Hispanic American

Historical Review, 4(1), 4. doi: 10.2307/2506083

 Provides an extensive analysis of the causes that led the Brazilian Empire to fall. Can be

considered a primary source given its publication date, providing context from the time it was

writer.

Neri, M. (2021). Inequality of labor impacts during the pandemic: executive summary. Rio de

Janeiro: FGV Social. Retrieved from

https://www.cps.fgv.br/cps/bd/docs/Desigualdade_de_Impactos_Trabalhistas_na_Pandemia_

Marcelo-Neri_FGV-Social.pdf

Report from the FGV that provides a broad analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil,

including information on unemployment, aid, and poverty. Investigates the consequences of

the combination between inflation and unemployment and its relation to the increasing

famine in the country.

Painel de Compras. (2020). Painel de Compras - Execução. Paineldecompras.economia.gov.br.

Retrieved 15 November 2021, from http://paineldecompras.economia.gov.br/execucao.

The Brazilian government’s detailed lists of its expenses for every sector of government.

Includes which branch of the government spent public money within a category.

Planalto. (2019). National Symbols. Retrieved 15 November 2021, from

https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br/conheca-a-presidencia/acervo/simbolos-nacionais

The Brazilian government’s website that explains its national symbols, including the flag and

the national anthem. Provides a quick overview of the country’s history.

Quadros, M. (2017). Crowned Conservatism: monarchist movements in modern-day Brazil.

Estudos De Sociologia, 22(42). doi: 10.52780/res.9113

Analyses the current movements to restore the Imperial Family in Brazil utilizing resources

from contemporary times. Suggests a correlation between monarchist movements and

conservative movements given the instability of the republic. Monarchists’ discourse is

heavily targeted against the left and focuses on the Christian principles.