deputado

Deputado is a political office in several Portuguese-speaking countries, referring to a person elected to a legislative body to represent constituents, participate in lawmaking, and oversee the executive. The term comes from Latin deputatus, meaning appointed or delegated.

In Portugal, a deputado is a member of the Assembleia da República, the national parliament. Deputies are elected by proportional representation in multi-member districts and are responsible for drafting and voting laws, supervising government actions, and representing voters. The feminine form is deputada.

In Brazil, the term denotes members at two levels of government. At the federal level, deputados federais sit in the Câmara dos Deputados, the lower house of the National Congress. At the state level, deputados estaduais serve in the Assembleias Legislativas of each state. Both federal and state deputies are elected by proportional representation and serve fixed terms, with the possibility of re-election. Their duties include proposing and voting on legislation and budgets, and conducting oversight and inquiry into government activities, often through committees.

The role of a deputado is typically defined by the constitutional framework of each country, but common functions include representing electoral districts, debating public policy, and ensuring government transparency. The title is equivalent to “deputy” or “member of parliament” in other contexts. In gendered usage, mulher deputies are referred to as deputadas. Overall, deputies form a core element of representative democracy, bridging citizens and government through legislative work.