Observations on the Brazilian presidency, democracy, and governance

von Mettenheim, Kurt E.

doi:10.1590/S0034-75901999000300006

Abstracts

This article presents the first results of research on the organization and administration of the Brazilian presidency and problems of democratic governance in Brazil. Biases of Euro-centrism in current views of presidentialism, democracy, governance, and representation are criticized and new comparative analysis of political experiences in the Americas called for. Initial analysis of the Brazilian presidency reveals a unique combination of executive-led electoral representation and muddling through governance since the transition from military rule.

Politics; governance; presidency; democracy

Este artigo apresenta os primeiros resultados de uma pesquisa sobre a administração da Presidência brasileira e problemas de governança democrática no Brasil. São criticados viéses eurocêntricos nas análises de presidencialismo, democracia, governança e representação, e são propostas novas análises comparativas de experiências políticas nas Américas. Esta análise da Presidência brasileira revela novos padrões de representação determinados pelo Executivo e um novo estilo de governança aberta e pluralista no recente período de pós-transição.

Política; governança; Presidência; democracia

ADMINISTRAÇÃO PÚBLICA

Observations on the Brazilian presidency, democracy, and governance

Kurt E. von Mettenheim

Professor at EAESP/FGV

ABSTRACT

This article presents the first results of research on the organization and administration of the Brazilian presidency and problems of democratic governance in Brazil. Biases of Euro-centrism in current views of presidentialism, democracy, governance, and representation are criticized and new comparative analysis of political experiences in the Americas called for. Initial analysis of the Brazilian presidency reveals a unique combination of executive-led electoral representation and muddling through governance since the transition from military rule.

Key words: Politics, governance, presidency, democracy.

RESUMO

Este artigo apresenta os primeiros resultados de uma pesquisa sobre a administração da Presidência brasileira e problemas de governança democrática no Brasil. São criticados viéses eurocêntricos nas análises de presidencialismo, democracia, governança e representação, e são propostas novas análises comparativas de experiências políticas nas Américas. Esta análise da Presidência brasileira revela novos padrões de representação determinados pelo Executivo e um novo estilo de governança aberta e pluralista no recente período de pós-transição.

Palavras-chave: Política, governança, Presidência, democracia.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

ADORNO, Theodore et al. The authoritarian personality. New York: Harper & Row, 1950.
BURNHAM, Walter D. Critical elections and the mainsprings of American politics New York: Norton, 1970. p. 10.
CAMP, Roderic (Ed.). Polling for democracy: public opinion and political liberalization in Mexico. Wilmington, DL: SR Books, 1996.
CARRION, Julio. Partisan decline and Presidential popularity: the politics and economics of representation in Peru, 1980-1993. In: METTENHEIM, Kurt von, MALLOY, James (Eds.). Deepening democracy in Latin America Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.
COLLIER, David, LEVITSKY, Steven. Democracy with adjectives: conceptual innovation in comparative research. World Politics, v. 49, n. 3, p. 430-451, Apr. 1997.
CONAGHAN, Catherine. Public life in the times of Alberto Fujimori Washington, D.C.: Latin American Program Papers, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1996.
CROZIER, Michael et al. The crisis of democracy New York: New York University Press, 1975.
FRIEDRICH, Carl. The impact of the American Constitution abroad Boston: Boston University Press, 1967.
KAUFMAN, Robert. Regionalism, regime transformation, and PRONASOL: the politics of the national solidarity program in four Mexican states. New York: Columbia University Institute for Latin American and Iberian Studies Working Papers, 1996.
LANE, Robert. Political ideology New York: Free Press, 1962.
LINZ, Juan, VALENZUELA, Arturo (Eds.). The failure of Presidential democracy in Latin America Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994.
MALLOY, James. Conclusion. In: MALLOY, James, SELIGSON, Mitchell (Eds). Authoritarians and democrats in Latin America Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1987. p. 235-258.
METTENHEIM, Kurt von (Ed.). Presidential institutions and democratic politics: comparing regional and national contexts. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.
METTENHEIM, Kurt von, MALLOY, James (Eds.). Deepening democracy in Latin America Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.
NOELLE-NEUMANN, Elizabeth. The spiral of silence Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984.
O'DONNELL, Guillermo. Illusions about consolidation. Journal of Democracy, v. 7, n. 2, p. 34-51, 1996.
PITKIN, Hanna. The concept of representation Berkeley, University of California Press, 1968.
SARTORI, Giovanni. Parties and party systems Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976.
SOUZA, Maria C. C. de. Estado e partidos políticos no Brasil: 1930-1964. São Paulo: Alfa Ômega, 1976.
WILLIAMSON, John. Latin American adjustment: how much has happened? Washington, D.C. Institute for International Economics, 1990.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
29 Sept 2011
Date of issue
Sept 1999

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[1] ADORNO, Theodore et al. The authoritarian personality. New York: Harper & Row, 1950.

[2] BURNHAM, Walter D. Critical elections and the mainsprings of American politics New York: Norton, 1970. p. 10.

[3] CAMP, Roderic (Ed.). Polling for democracy: public opinion and political liberalization in Mexico. Wilmington, DL: SR Books, 1996.

[4] CARRION, Julio. Partisan decline and Presidential popularity: the politics and economics of representation in Peru, 1980-1993. In: METTENHEIM, Kurt von, MALLOY, James (Eds.). Deepening democracy in Latin America Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.

[5] COLLIER, David, LEVITSKY, Steven. Democracy with adjectives: conceptual innovation in comparative research. World Politics, v. 49, n. 3, p. 430-451, Apr. 1997.

[6] CONAGHAN, Catherine. Public life in the times of Alberto Fujimori Washington, D.C.: Latin American Program Papers, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1996.

[7] CROZIER, Michael et al. The crisis of democracy New York: New York University Press, 1975.

[8] FRIEDRICH, Carl. The impact of the American Constitution abroad Boston: Boston University Press, 1967.

[9] KAUFMAN, Robert. Regionalism, regime transformation, and PRONASOL: the politics of the national solidarity program in four Mexican states. New York: Columbia University Institute for Latin American and Iberian Studies Working Papers, 1996.

[10] LANE, Robert. Political ideology New York: Free Press, 1962.

[11] LINZ, Juan, VALENZUELA, Arturo (Eds.). The failure of Presidential democracy in Latin America Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994.

[12] MALLOY, James. Conclusion. In: MALLOY, James, SELIGSON, Mitchell (Eds). Authoritarians and democrats in Latin America Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1987. p. 235-258.

[13] METTENHEIM, Kurt von (Ed.). Presidential institutions and democratic politics: comparing regional and national contexts. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.

[14] METTENHEIM, Kurt von, MALLOY, James (Eds.). Deepening democracy in Latin America Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.

[15] NOELLE-NEUMANN, Elizabeth. The spiral of silence Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984.

[16] O'DONNELL, Guillermo. Illusions about consolidation. Journal of Democracy, v. 7, n. 2, p. 34-51, 1996.

[17] PITKIN, Hanna. The concept of representation Berkeley, University of California Press, 1968.

[18] SARTORI, Giovanni. Parties and party systems Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976.

[19] SOUZA, Maria C. C. de. Estado e partidos políticos no Brasil: 1930-1964. São Paulo: Alfa Ômega, 1976.

[20] WILLIAMSON, John. Latin American adjustment: how much has happened? Washington, D.C. Institute for International Economics, 1990.