Constitutional revision and the reform of the Brazilian State

Resumo

The article examines the revision of the Brazilian Constitution unsuccessfully attempted by the Congress in 1993/94. The Constitution is analyzed with a focus on six items which are considered obstacles to economic liberalization (the state monopolies on telecommunications and oil, the definition of national enterprise, the prohibition of foreign investments in mining and health services and interest rate limitation to 12% yearly). The position taken by the main political parties, both in favor and opposed to the reform, in reference to these six issues is examined. The article also considers the role played by interest groups in the revision process. The political forces which acted in opposition to the constitutional reform are refered to, including the major trade unions organizations, left-wing political parties, state owned enterprises, and civil society organizations. Those in favor of reform were primarily business and industrial organizations. The reasons why the political actors decided not to carry out the revision process, are presented, based on interviews of the legislative leadership.

Ficha do documento

Tipo

Artigo científico

Ano

1994

Instituição

Escola Brasileira de Administração Pública e de Empresas da Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EBAPE)

Fonte

Revista de Administração Pública

Idioma

Português

Acesso

Não informado

Identificador

oai:ojs.periodicos.fgv.br:article/8598

Temas

Economia

Palavras-chave

reform and modernization of the stateconstitutional reviewliberalization of the economyversus political economyState and civil society.reforma y modernización del Estadorevisión de la Constituciónliberalización de la economíafrente a la economía políticaEstado y la sociedad civil.reforma e modernização do Estadorevisão constitucionalliberalização da economiapolítica versus economiaEstado e sociedade civil.