Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 67 n. 4 Rio de Janeiro 2023-12-01 2024
Abstract
The idea of ‘pluralization’—a new configuration of decision-making processes, characterized by Itamaraty’s relative loss of influence and the participation of various actors—became widespread in Brazilian foreign policy studies. Questioning the literature’s general framing of this transformation, we explore the hypothesis that pluralization varies depending on the issue area under analysis. We build upon a mechanism connecting domestic distributive effects to pluralization and apply process-tracing methods to analyze two “typical cases” associated with environmental and health issues: the Kyoto Protocol negotiations and the dispute on AIDS drug patents. We explore how issue areas interact with mechanisms affecting decision-unit dispersion and generate hypotheses to explain deviations from the model. The results contribute to discussing issue-area effects, a gap in the literature. Conceptualizing issue areas as subsystems, we identify relevant dimensions to think their relation to pluralization: technical knowledge, distribution and weight of power capabilities, expert communities, institutionalization, and past interactions within the subsystem.
Keywords: Brazilian foreign policy; Pluralization; Diplomacy; Decision-making process; Bureaucratic politics
DOI: .1590/dados.2024.67.4.336
Issue Area and Pluralization In Brazilian Foreign Policy: an Exploratory Study of Decision-Making Processes in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Government