A brief history of Brazil's "Big Center" – and why it matters to the 2018 presidential race

Italian political scientist Giovanni Sartori once called Brazil “the most anti-partisan country in the world.” That is particularly true today, as dissatisfaction with Brazilian political parties reaches record-setting levels, with the electorate blaming corrupt politicians for the recession. But this rejection hasn't stopped presidential hopefuls from engaging in the active courtship of a group called the centrão, or the "Big Center," even if this front of mid-sized parties represents the very concept of the establishment.

In a presidential race where candidates are bending over backward to present themselves as outsiders, why does the Big Center matter so much?