Why Jair Bolsonaro is not solely to blame for Brazil’s toxic politics

A year ago, on October 28, 2018, Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil in an election that was as polarising as it was surprising. Since taking office in January 2019, his presidency has followed the path feared by many of his critics.

Mr. Bolsonaro’s government has been erratic, unable to build support, and rather than working across congress to pass legislation, the Brazilian leader has tended to antagonize his critics and play to his ultra-conservative, right-wing support base.

Mr. Bolsonaro has no doubt fanned the flames of Brazil’s political, social, and cultural tensions. He faced a considerable backlash within Brazil for his response to fires in the Amazon, and has been criticized for his nepotism and historic photos taken with high-profile criminal suspects. Ongoing instances of misogyny, homophobia, and racism—not to mention bizarre activity on Twitter—have contributed to further political and social polarization.

Still, as we argue in our recent book “Understanding Contemporary Brazil,” Mr. Bolsonaro is not necessarily the cause of Brazil’s political polarisation, but rather a symptom of more deep-seated democratic problems.

Polarisation has long contributed to political fragmentation in Brazil’s congress, which currently has 30 political parties. This imposes high costs in terms of time and resources on any president who wants to fulfil his or her agenda. Brazil also remains...