The Problem of Democracy in Two Brazilian Governance Experiences

Abstract

The paper critically examines “governance” that was seen to be a solution to the social inequality that the authoritarian state-led intense economic development had created during earlier military rule in Brazil. The paper observes that the notion of governance, at least in Brazil, does not express interests emerging from society. Instead, it originates, circulates, and targets the state. Moreover, the term “governance” cannot find meaning in Portuguese, being usually considered synonymous with “government.” Its adoption can be explained by the frequency with which it is invoked to indicate management processes in tune with accepted practices and with dominant representations about contemporary society. It, then, goes on to argue that governance might in fact be an illusion for participatory exclusion of democracy without universal suffrage, where poverty is “managed” by actors from state, non-government organisations, or who are clients/beneficiaries, and they are brought together according to their relevance.

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of Chloé Brault MacKinnon, who translated the text from Portuguese as well as Laís Jabace Maia and Giselle Tanaka for the background research and for reviewing the text, in addition to presenting important suggestions for its completion. Dr Neil Thomlinson of Ryerson University was very generous in offering several suggestions for the text, in view of his knowledge of Brazilian government and politics and his understanding of the challenge of presenting it to the English-speaking public.