Abstract
Abstract The article analyzes the transformative capacity of the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS) in shaping structural change in Brazilian municipalities. The study is based on the concepts of organizational and institutional learning, on a combination of analytical categories of the institutional and neo-institutional approaches and on traditional means of government control. As for methodology, this study used process tracing, in-depth interviews, and documentary analysis of regulations, decrees, and resolutions that create direct and indirect incentives to induce agreements and cooperation of municipalities with the Ministry. We identified two important causal mechanisms: a) organizational and institutional learning processes; and b) inter-federative cooperation that, combined, generated significant changes in municipal bureaucratic capacity. The findings show the importance of the Union’s transformative capacity in the process of public policy decentralization in Brazil.
Highlights
Social welfare policy was introduced in the 1988 Federal Constitution (FC-88)
It operates by means of direct cash transfers to citizens and social welfare services, being offered mainly by the municipal level of government
Does the government have an effective transformative capacity that influences municipalities and the capacity of the sub-national level to offer this policy? Bearing this question in mind, our goal is to analyze the role of the Union, the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Combate à Fome — MDS), in inducing municipalities to create a local bureaucracy that would facilitate the institutionalization of the National Social Welfare Policy (Política Nacional de Assistência Social — Pnas), considering its legislative authority, the administrative resources available to it, and the agreements made between the federal entities
Summary
Social welfare policy was introduced in the 1988 Federal Constitution (FC-88). It operates by means of direct cash transfers to citizens and social welfare services, being offered mainly by the municipal level of government. Bearing this question in mind, our goal is to analyze the role of the Union, the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Combate à Fome — MDS), in inducing municipalities to create a local bureaucracy that would facilitate the institutionalization of the National Social Welfare Policy (Política Nacional de Assistência Social — Pnas), considering its legislative authority, the administrative resources available to it, and the agreements made between the federal entities Does the government have an effective transformative capacity that influences municipalities and the capacity of the sub-national level to offer this policy? Bearing this question in mind, our goal is to analyze the role of the Union, the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e Combate à Fome — MDS), in inducing municipalities to create a local bureaucracy that would facilitate the institutionalization of the National Social Welfare Policy (Política Nacional de Assistência Social — Pnas), considering its legislative authority, the administrative resources available to it, and the agreements made between the federal entities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
