Public Policy in Brazil: System Performance & Outcomes

1. Public Policy in Brazil: System Performance & Outcomes

2. Nature of Public Policy Policies - OUTPUTS of the political system: authoritative decisions that government makes Policies – chosen to promote different end results End results are outcomes Different policy instruments may be more or less efficient ways in which to reach the outcomes that policy makers want

3. Regional Differences Important in Brazil – filter impact of policies

4. Distributive & Redistributive Policy • Quantity • Available resources usually depend of domestic extractive capability • Example of OPEC countries • Areas of human life touched by benefits • Welfare • National security • Welfare state as a distributive ideology

5. Chart –object of expenditures Dist

6. Extractive Policy • Services (military duty, jury duty) • Taxation (extractions that have no immediate or direct benefit) • Borrowing • Issues of efficiency and equity are always associated with making and implementing extractive rules

7. Chart -central Gvt Revenue

8. Sources of Extraction

9. Kinds of Public Policies: Regulation • Regulation of human behavior • Compulsion • Inducements • Goal – obtain compliance for the extractive and distributive policies of the state

10. Kinds of Public Policies: Symbolic • Symbolism • political speeches • holidays rites • public monuments • Used by government to exhort citizens to desired forms of conduct • Brasilia – symbolizing power in Century 21

11. Where Democratic Brazil’s Policy Implementation Record is Mixed • Producing growth • Controlling inflation • Enacting economic reform

12. Economic Policy: Aspirations • Increased standard of living • Industrial growth • Employment • Modernization and growth in the traditional areas (especially the Northeast) • Itaipu Hydroelectric Project

13. Economic Policy • The record • Inflation following return to democracy • Cardoso: Real Plan • Deregulation of financial and labor markets • Pension reform • Extractive capacity crippled by corruption • Taxes • Tax on the Circulation of Goods and Services • Single value-added tax

14. Other “Mixed” Records • Education resources • used for elite creation • poor record of elementary school • basic adult literacy improves slowly • Redistributing income and providing basic social services • Minimal reduction in broad disparities • Patron-client relations prevail

15. Where Democratic Brazil’s Record is Poor: Health • 1988 Constitution - Heath Care Universally Mandated • Access to system is uneven • Quality of health care in shantytowns is low • Poor Health Indicators • AIDS Program • Poor area of Rio de Janeiro controlled by armed drug-dealers • No established medical facilities

16. Where Democratic Brazil’s Record is Poor • Street children • estimates they number 25,000 nation-wide • Vulnerable & exploited • Favela children recruited by drug gangs who given them weapons meninos de rua

17. Where Democratic Brazil’s Record is Poor; Housing • The National Housing Bank (BancoNacional de Habitação--BNH) • well-to-do live in chic neighborhoods, usually centrally located • The urban poor live in favelas or distant housing projects, take long bus trips to work, go to public schools. Boa Viagem beach – Recife

18. Another pool and patio Tennis Courts • 3 maids rooms • Waiting rooms for drivers in basement • Special rooms for storing crystal, china silver, ect • Electric fences, video cameras, and private guards Luxury apartments in São Paulo right next to a favela Individual pools

19. Class Divide Comparative Perspective GINI Index of Inequality 0 = perfect equality and 1 = perfect inequality

20. Crime, Drugs & Urban Poor • Crime rates high in urban shantytowns • Warring cartels compete for influence in the shantytowns • Illicit drug trade (second only to USA) • Militarization of policing

21. Other Important Policy Challenges • Environment • Deforestation Amazon Basin • Economic growth vs. Rainforest preservation • Air & Water Pollution in cities

22. Political Corruption& Brazilian Public Opinion • 2005 Political Scandal • Political Attitudes towards Corruption • How does corruption, and public attitudes toward corruption influence public policy?

23. National Strategy of Defense • Modernization of Armed Forces under President Lula • Restructuring of Brazilian Defense Industry • Troop requirements increased Partner in Russian-Indian joint venture to produce fifth-generation fighter aircraft version of the Sukhoi fighter aircraft

24. Reorganization of Armed Forces • New Strategic Guidelines to Each Military Branch • Stresses flexibility and elasticity for Army • Mandatory military service

25. South American Military Focus VENEZUELA GUYANA SURINAM FRENCH GUIANA COLOMBIA ECUADOR BRAZIL PERU BOLIVIA

26. Brazil: Rising force in International Affairs • Carving out a sphere of influence in South America • MERCOSUR • UNASUR • Enhancing the influence of the BRIC • Mediating with Cuba • Environmental Politics • Mastering peaceful nuclear technology

27. Explaining Policy Failures • Mixed elite support • Poorly designed programs • Clientilism and regionalism • Little difference between policy success/failure of military and civilian regimes • World market conditions

28. Going in the Right Direction

29. Prospects: Reasons for Optimism • Political: increasing stability • Economic: meeting challenges • Fiscal deficits • Structural reform • International competitiveness of industry • Growing confidence among Brazilians • In 2005, 67 percent of Brazilians believed their children would live better than they had lived. • 2012 World Cub • 2016 Olympics