Brazil: 200 years of state; 200 years of public administration; 200 years of reforms

Abstract

The passing of 200 years since the transfer of the Portuguese Royal Court for Brazil has generated the realization of innumerable commemorative events, such as seminars, guest speakers, expositions and the publication of books and articles in journals and magazines. However, few findings, discussions and publications about the "200 years" looked to examine the question of the constitution of the national state and the formation of Brazilian public administration. This article intends to fill the large void left in the commemoration of the 200 years since the arrival of the Royal Portuguese Family in Brazil. It offers a quick historical panorama of the transformations that Brazilian public administration experienced, emphasizing the planned changes, i.e. the efforts aimed at reforming the state apparatus. Three big reforms are stressed that began in the mid-1930s, separated by intervals of thirty years - 1937, 1967, and 1995 (or 1998, the year of the promulgation of Constitutional Amendment n. 19). The entire trajectory that was initiated in 1808 exhibits today a triple celebration - 200 years of national state, 200 years of public administration, and 200 years of institutional and administrative reforms.