Dilemmas of the Consolidation of Democracy from the Top in Brazil

Abstract

Current literature on the process of transition to democracy in Latin American countries often discusses the problems created by the rapid mobilization of popular sectors. From a variety of perspectives, and in the midst of discussing different dilemmas for the consolidation of democracy, most authors point to the danger of increased political and social mobilization. According to this analysis, the danger stems the fact that fragile democratic governments are unable to cope with the explosion of political, economic, and social demands coming working-class sectors, which, during the period of transition, tend to organize rapidly in order to pressure for entry into the political and economic scenario (O'Donnell, Schmitter, and Whitehead, 1986). Brazil is, in this context, of particular analytical interest due to the peculiarities both of the process of transition and of the level of organization and consciousness of the working-class sectors. In this article I shall present the view of those at the bottom, who up until now have been excluded completely the process of consolidating a democracy from the top. I shall concentrate on analytical points that are often cavalierly dismissed both in the literature and in political discussions. As a contribution to the debate on the Brazilian transition military rule to civilian electoral politics, I would like to consider some