[1] It was established in 1979 as a continuation of the National Renewal Alliance (ARENA), the political wing of the military during the 1965–79 military dictatorship, at a time in which the country was moving away from authoritarianism.

In 1985, when Paulo Maluf won the party's nomination for the presidential bid, a huge group, led by José Sarney (former leader of ARENA from 1971 to 1980 and of the PDS from 1980 to 1985), Jorge Bornhausen and Marco Maciel, founded the Liberal Front Party (PFL).

The Democratic Social Party suffered bad defeats in both the 1986 (7.9%) and 1990 (8.9%) elections for the Chamber of Deputies, when at the same time PFL took 17.7% and 12.4%.

In 1986, in particular, the party was seriously defeated also in state elections, so that all of the 12 governorships won in 1982 were lost.

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