Brazilian constitutional referendum, 1963

Following the resignation of president Jânio Quadros on August 25, 1961 and the willingness of the military to allow left-wing vice-president João Goulart to take oath, created a serious crisis that almost became a civil war in Brazil.

Due Goulart's massive popular support, the Brazilian Congress, in a move to avoid a civil war, proposed an amendment to the 1946 Constitution, that changed the form of the government from presidentialism to parliamentarism, to reduce the presidential powers.

The amendment was approved and the rightist military suspended the veto over Goulart, which finally assumed the presidency of Brazil on September 7, 1961. The amendment also predicted a referendum in 1965 to confirm the change of regime.

The Brazilian parliamentarism, based on the German model, didn't work well, due the fact that Goulart wanted the original powers of the presidency and the hurry that the amendment was approved. The ambitions of Goulart's rivals, like Juscelino Kubitschek and Carlos Lacerda, as both wanted the president with full powers after the 1965 predicted elections, also contributed with the failure of parliamentarism.

In less than two years, there were three governments:

* Tancredo Neves (from September 7, 1961 to July 12, 1962)
* Brochado da Rocha (from July 12, 1962 to September 18, 1962)
* Hermes Lima (from September 18, 1962 to January 6, 1963)

Goulart managed to anticipate the referendum from 1965 to January 6, 1963. The parliamentarism form of government was overwhelmingly defeated. More than 80% of the voters decided to restore the presidentialism.

Then Goulart, with full powers, started a process of political reforms, leaning to the left, which lead the rightist military coup d'état of March 31, 1964.