ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the cases of transition in Brazil and Portugal as illustrative of the more general processes of change. These are very different countries, having in common mainly the language and differing with regard to location and size, nature of the authoritarian regime, and sequence and degree of transition. The speed of the transitions is suggested by the terms used to describe them in each country. In the twentieth century, revolution evolving into constitutional democracy is most unusual, and the sequence of events in Portugal must be analyzed with this in mind. The sequence of events suggests the different patterns of actors and their interactions. In both countries the outcomes remain tentative. Portugal has seen the transition to a democratic regime, but on the basis of the election results in 1980 the Democratic Alliance was able to revise the constitution substantially. In Brazil, general elections were held in November 1982.
