Jânio Quadros

Jânio da Silva Quadros (; January 25, 1917 – February 16, 1992) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as 22nd President of Brazil from January 31 to August 25, 1961, when he resigned from office. He also served as the 24th and 36th mayor of São Paulo, and the 18th governor of the state of São Paulo. Quadros was known for his populist style of government, honesty, and his eccentric behavior. As president, he focused on economic reform and attempted to root out corruption. He also pursued an independent foreign policy, trying to balance relations between the United States and the Eastern Bloc. Although he was elected by a huge margin, his term was marked by uncertainty and political instability culminating in his resignation. This unexpected move caused national chaos, with the presidency being assumed by João Goulart.

Early life  
Quadros was born in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul on January 25, 1917, to Gabriel Quadros and Leonor da Silva Quadros. He attended the University of São Paulo, funding his education by teaching geography and Portuguese, and graduated in 1939 with a degree in Law. He subsequently practiced law and taught at the Dante Alighieri Institute until 1945, when he became involved in politics.

Political career 
In 1947, Quadros was elected to the city council of São Paulo, of which he was a member until 1950. He was very active in this role, introducing more legislation than any other member. Quadros ran for mayor of the city of São Paulo in 1953. He defeated the well-funded establishment candidate Francisco Cardoso and served as mayor until 1955. During his time as mayor he gained a reputation for honesty and innovation. He frequently visited the poor neighborhoods of São Paulo and listened to the complaints of the residents, which made him popular with the working class. He also succeeded in balancing the city's budget in under a year, adding to his formidable reputation. 

In 1955, Quadros resigned in order to run for governor of the state of São Paulo. He defeated the experienced politician Adhemar de Barros, his longtime rival, by a margin of 1 percent. He served as governor until 1959, when he resigned in order to run for president. Quadros' meteoric career can be attributed to his widespread use of populist rhetoric and his extravagant behavior. He appealed to popular frustration with the government by making his campaign symbol a broom, symbolic of his pledge to "sweep away corruption". He was also a very charismatic leader who proved adept at gaining the trust of the public.

Election of 1960 
Prior to the 1960 election, Quadros was nominated by several opposition parties, forming a coalition of his National Labor Party (PTN), the Christian Democratic Party and the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Union (UDN). Although he was not an enthusiastic supporter of the UDN, the party supported his candidacy because they lacked a viable alternative. Throughout the campaign, Quadros' clashed with the UDN. His trip to communist Cuba in March 1960 demonstrated a clear disregard for the party's preferred foreign policy. Despite this, Quadros enjoyed widespread popularity with the Brazilian electorate. The ruling coalition, composed of the PSD and PTB, nominated Henrique Lott, who was Marshal of the Brazilian Army. However, Lott was a flawed candidate, whose stubbornness and bluntness cost him potential supporters.  Quadros easily won, and his 15.6 percent margin of victory would be the largest margin for a presidential election held by popular vote until Fernando Henrique Cardoso won by 27 points in 1994. Quadros' share of the popular vote was 48%, larger than any previous president. Despite this success, the separate race for vice president was won by João Goulart, Lott's running mate. The election marked a historic moment in Brazilian history. When Quadros took office on January 31, 1961; it was the first time since Brazil became a republic in 1889 that an incumbent government peacefully transferred power to an elected member of the opposition. It was also the first time in 31 years that the presidency was not held by an heir to the legacy of Getúlio Vargas.

Presidency 

After his victory in the 1960 election, Quadros spent the three months before his inauguration traveling in Europe and refrained from discussing what he would do as president. His absence was criticized by many of his allies, who wanted him to take a more active role in preparing the administration to govern. Quadros took office on January 31, 1961. In his inaugural speech, he emphasized the issues of government inefficiency, inflation, and debt. Quadros laid the blame for the country's high rate of inflation on his predecessor, Juscelino Kubitschek, and also berated the former president for nepotism and corruption. He quickly replaced most incumbent ministers with members of the UDN and other parties that had supported him. However, the Movimento Popular Jânio Quadros was denied influence in the new government despite its support for Quadros and its prominent role in the campaign. Despite his political skills, Quadros' ability to govern effectively was hampered throughout his presidency by his inexperience with party politics and his small staff.

Domestic policy

At the beginning of Quadros presidency, Brazil was faced with high inflation and large debts to foreign countries. His government announced an anti-inflation program in March which simplified exchange rates and cut public spending. These reforms gained the approval of the IMF, allowing Quadros to successfully renegotiate debts with the United States and Europe. Brazil received a total of 1.64 billion dollars of new loans, greatly mitigating the debt crisis that it had been facing. This represented a major breakthrough for the Quadros administration, as several previous Brazilian presidents had failed to renegotiate the debt. In addition to his campaign against inflation, Quadros attempted to reduce bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption. He launched an anti-corruption campaign and largely bypassed the bureaucracy by issuing Presidential decrees. Unfortunately, these policies undermined morale within the government and alienated many members of Congress. This was exacerbated by his failure to cooperate with his allies, as he rarely consulted the UDN on important decisions and held only two cabinet meetings in his first month in office.  As president, Quadros also dissipated his energy on relatively unimportant issues, exerting significant effort to outlaw gambling and ban women from wearing bikinis on the beach.

Foreign policy 

Quadros pursued an independent foreign policy, outlining "freedom, independence, and non-interference as his guiding principals. He also tried to pursue closer relationships with African countries, hoping to gain influence in the non-aligned movement. He attempted to show solidarity with newly independent African countries by promoting decolonization and opposing racism. He also tried to promote trade and cultural exchanges with these countries. However, Quadros' government often supported states ruled by white minority governments, such as South Africa, which undermined these efforts. Quadros attempted to follow a neutral foreign policy instead of the Pro-American policies of his predecessors, hoping to play the major powers against each other. However, his willingness to embrace the communist governments of Cuba, China and the Soviet Union alienated many of his supporters, particularly the UND. His decision to award the Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil's highest medal for foreigners, to Che Guevara was particularly controversial, leading many to suspect that he was a communist sympathizer. Quadros' foreign policy was one of the most controversial aspects of his presidency and was a major factor in the decline of his support in congress.

Resignation

In the summer of 1961, Quadros had faced increasing opposition from congress and had alienated many former allies. On August 25, 1961, Quadros unexpectedly resigned, citing foreign and "terrible occult forces" in his cryptic resignation letter. His resignation is commonly thought to have been a move to increase his power, expecting to return to the presidency by the acclamation of the Brazilian people or by the request of the National Congress of Brazil and the military. Based on Goulart's unpopularity with the military and other conservative elements, he likely expected that his resignation would not be accepted. This maneuver, however, was immediately rejected by the Brazilian legislature, which accepted his resignation and called on the president of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, Pascoal Ranieri Mazzilli, to take office until the vice president, João Goulart, could come back from his trip to the People's Republic of China. Quadros' resignation created a serious political crisis, setting the stage for the 1964 coup. The military, which feared Goulart's leftist tendencies, seemed poised to forcibly oppose his inauguration. The United States was also concerned by the prospect of a Goulart presidency, and considered supporting anti-Goulart forces.  Goulart finally took the oath as president on September 7, 1961, although his power was restricted by an amendment to the Constitution passed on September 2, that created a parliamentary system of Government. He was not of the same party as Quadros; at the time, Brazilians could vote for a ticket that had candidates for president and vice president from different parties.

Exile and return to politics 
Shortly after his resignation, Quadros left the capital and traveled to Europe, promising to return to Brazil. The political crisis initiated by his resignation culminated in a military coup in 1964. While the military did not allow him to participate in politics, by the 1980s Quadros had made a comeback. He joined the Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro, and was candidate for governor of São Paulo in 1982, only to be defeated by André Franco Montoro. Nevertheless, he was elected mayor of São Paulo city in 1985, for the second time, defeating the favored candidate, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, later president of Brazil. Quadros served as mayor until 1988.

Personal life
He married Eloa do Valle in 1939. His daughter, Dirce, was a member of the Brazilian National Congress.

He died of kidney and lung failure and a hemorrhage on February 16, 1992 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo after being hospitalized for 12 days.

See also
 List of Presidents of Brazil
 1964 Brazilian coup d'état
 Janismo

References

External links
 TIME cover featuring Quadros (June 20, 1961)
 Textbook chapter describing Quadros career
 Article in Foreign Affairs magazine written by Quadros 

Category:1917 births
Category:1992 deaths
Category:People from São Paulo
Category:Mayors of São Paulo
Category:Presidents of Brazil
Category:Governors of São Paulo (state)
Category:University of São Paulo alumni
Category:Brazilian Labour Party (current) politicians
Category:Brazilian Democratic Movement Party politicians
Category:Christian Democratic Party (Brazil) politicians