How Should Elected Politicians Behave? Constitutional Insights from the U.S. and Brazilian Supreme Courts
By Arthur Guerra Filho. Corruption scandals in political finance have shaken both the U.S. and Brazil, the two largest constitutional democracies in the Americas, forcing their Supreme Courts to deal with political finance issues. They share structural parallels—presidentialism, federalism, and multiethnic societies rooted in profound inequality—yet have charted different courses in regulating political finance. By deciding what kinds of financial influence are permissible, the respective apex courts approached the question of how elected politicians should behave.


