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. 52 n. 1 Rio de Janeiro 2009
Abstract
The main analysts of Brazilian reality have highlighted that the roots of our underdevelopment are planted in the country's historical formation, generating a series of determinants that condition the political system, the state, and its relations with society and the economy. These peculiarities constitute ways of being, proceeding, or thinking that characterize our institutions, social relations, and representations of the social and political world. Patrimonialism, abuse of authority, and personalism are examples of the 'diseases' used to describe aspects of Brazilian reality that purportedly constitute the causes of limited effectiveness in government action. The analysis allows characterizing these phenomena as structure and function, indicating their influence on social, political, and administrative practices and evaluating their impact on the state's functioning and reform strategies. These categories inform the intellectual attitudes, diagnoses, and proposals for changes by reformers of all conceptual and ideological latitudes.
Keywords: patrimonialism, abuse of authority, personalism
DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52582009000100005
Relations between state and society in Brazil: representations for use by reformers
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