How to govern Brazil? The debate on political institutions and the policy-making process

Abstract

Analysis of the functioning of Brazilian political institutions is permeated by an immense and complex interpretative debate, with broad implications for contemporary political science. There are numerous studies on the theme, but they are practically polar in their interpretation of policy drafting and implementation in current Brazilian democracy. This article aims to analyze the terms of this debate, developing a conceptual framework to help understand the policy-making processes, especially decision-making in matters pertaining to economic policy and structural reforms in the state and economic organization.