The President Speaks to the Nation: How Oratory Strategies Changed in Brazilian Presidents’ Inaugural Speeches Over Six Decades, 1964–2023

This chapter aims to explore how political oratory has evolved over six decades in Brazil, comparing the strategies employed by politicians in the different phases of the country’s republic. For that purpose, we performed a qualitative content analysis of the inaugural speeches of presidents who ruled Brazil between 1964 and 2023. We divided this period into four phases: military dictatorship (1964–1985), redemocratization and stabilization of the republic (1985–2002), pink tide (2003–2016), and post-impeachment of Dilma Rousseff during greater polarization (2016–2023). The results show that since the dictatorship period speeches have been characterized by an emotional tone. However, unlike the military presidents, civilian politicians have sought to connect with citizens by referencing their everyday lives and adopting more informal language. Furthermore, after Rousseff's impeachment, polarization became evident as presidents increasingly directed sharp criticism at their opponents and highlighted divisions among rival groups.