The article aims to evaluate the dynamics of the Brazilian party system establishing a dialogue with certain recent Brazilian literature. One of the goals is to verify the assertion that the Brazilian party system is moving toward a process of institutionalization (or consolidation). Besides, it evaluates the role of ideology in structuring this system. To do this, besides the systematization of a large set of data and conclusions presented in several others studies, new data about different aspects related to the party system (colligations, coalitions, switching party affiliations, electoral volatility, party system fragmentation) were gathered and analyzed here. The main conclusions, in opposition to some conclusions of that literature are: 1) together with indications of consolidation or institutionalization there are some others indications, at least as important as those, in the opposite direction; 2) the presidential competition don't structure so clearly (as this literature suggest) the party system; 3) ideology is increasingly less important as a structuring factor of this system.
Brazilian politics; party system; political parties; institutionalization; structure of competition