Brazil, for many scholars and pundits, showcased the risk of democratic breakdown with the election of a far-right populist like Jair Bolsonaro. Against pessimistic expectations, however, not only has Brazilian democracy survived but politics has returned to business as usual. What can explain this supposedly unanticipated outcome? This article provides an analytical assessment of this this puzzle and offers an alternative explanation. We argue that both the diagnoses of Brazilian institutions and the predictions made were misguided. We explore the role played by the Supreme Court, party system, media, and congressional politics in restricting Bolsonaro’s illiberal initiatives.

中文翻译：

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巴西民主为何没有消亡？

对于许多学者和专家来说，巴西随着雅伊尔·博尔索纳罗（Jair Bolsonaro）这样的极右翼民粹主义者的当选，展示了民主崩溃的风险。然而，与悲观的预期相反，巴西的民主不仅得以幸存，而且政治也恢复了正常。什么可以解释这个据说是意料之外的结果？本文对这个难题进行了分析评估，并提供了另一种解释。我们认为，巴西机构的诊断和预测都是错误的。我们探讨了最高法院、政党制度、媒体和国会政治在限制博尔索纳罗的非自由举措方面所发挥的作用。