It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of Brazil and the federal government.

Legislative power is vested upon the National Congress, a two-chamber legislature comprising the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

The bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional) consists of:[2] There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve for either chamber.

The result is a system weighted in favor of smaller states that are part of the Brazilian federation.

[citation needed] Brazilian courts function under civil law adversarial system.

The STF grants Extraordinary Appeals (Recurso Extraordinário) when judgments of second instance courts violate the constitution.

Facts and evidence are judged by the courts of the second instance, except in specific cases such as writs of habeas corpus.