Ranking dos Políticos favors the right: striking down Lula's tax earns points

The score runs from 0 to 10. Votes count for 75%; spending of the parliamentary allowance, 10%; attendance, 10%; perks, 5%. The Ranking's staff picks the bills, and its Conselho de Leis (Law Council) decides which ones count^[6].

Whoever votes as the Ranking advises gets full points. In the Ranking's own words: “votos contrários ou ausências não pontuam” (contrary votes or absences earn no points)^[6]. Disagreeing with the Council counts the same as not showing up.

In 2015, an FGV profile already noted that the site “dá ou tira pontos dependendo da tendência do político a votar, por exemplo, em maior ou menor tributação, o que demonstra certo viés” (gives or takes points depending on a politician's tendency to vote for more or less taxation, which shows a certain bias)^[7].

During the tax reform, the Chamber voted on an amendment creating a Large Fortunes Tax on assets above R$ 10 million, at rates from 0.5% to 1.5%. The Ranking's Council advised “No”, worth 15 points. The amendment failed, 221 to 71^[2].

On June 25, 2025, the Chamber struck down, 383 to 98, Lula's decrees raising the IOF, a tax on financial transactions^[8]. The Ranking advised “Yes” to striking them down, worth 15 points, because the decree “elevou de forma significativa a carga tributária” (significantly raised the tax burden)^[3].

The bill was filed by Deputy Zucco (PL-RS). PL leader Sóstenes Cavalcante celebrated: “quem vai ganhar o presente é o povo brasileiro, que pagará menos impostos” (the gift goes to the Brazilian people, who will pay less tax). Government leader José Guimarães (PT-CE) replied: “Não queremos tirar dinheiro dos programas que garantem a inclusão social dos mais pobres” (We don't want to take money from the programs that ensure the social inclusion of the poorest)^[8].

In October 2025, the opposition moved to pull Provisional Measure 1303, which taxed online betting, LCI and LCA notes and interest on equity, from the agenda. The motion passed 251 to 193, and the measure lapsed^[9]. The Ranking dubbed the measure “Taxa Tudo” (Tax Everything) and gave 5 points for voting “Yes”^[4].

Its compass is stated openly. In 2018, the Ranking scored −20 a bill letting delinquent states and cities receive federal transfers for public security. Its comment: “Sem o mínimo de disciplina fiscal […] não haverá melhora da poupança pública, o objetivo maior a ser perseguido” (Without minimal fiscal discipline […] public savings, the highest goal to pursue, will not improve)^[10].

Economists of Modern Monetary Theory dispute the premise that the state must save like a household^[11].

A pending case costs no points. Only final convictions count, and each takes off 0.5 point^[6]. In 2017 the rule was different: every lawsuit took off 10 points^[12].

Flávio Bolsonaro scores 8.20, ranks 9th of 70 senators and received the Ranking's Excelência Parlamentar award in 2023, 2024 and 2025. His own profile on the site records that the TSE (electoral court) fined him for spreading a decontextualized video about Lula in the 2022 election^[13]. The fine doesn't count toward the score.

A justified absence counts as attendance^[6]. In 2026, up to June 22, Flávio cast no vote in 43% of the Senate's roll-call votes, not counting justified absences, according to a Folha survey; the senators' average was 20%^[14]. His 2026 score is 9.58, the highest of the four years^[13].

The Ranking states: “Nossa atuação é totalmente apartidária e sem vínculos com governos ou partidos políticos.” (Our work is fully nonpartisan, with no ties to governments or political parties.) It says it runs on donations from individuals and companies, with no party or public money^[1].

It publishes its methodology and its advice on each vote^[6], and it also penalizes privileges and high allowance spending, in any party. The yardstick isn't secret. It just isn't neutral: when the vote is about who pays taxes, it scores Flávio's side.