The lobbies in the 1987-88 constitutional process

• Grant number: 13/02811-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2013
• End date: October 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Garuti Noronha
• Grantee: Lucas Nascimento Ferraz Costa
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 15/06170-0 - How singular is the Brazilian Constitution process of 1987-88? -A comparative constitution-making study, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The project's goal is to analyze the role of pressure groups in the 1987-88's Brazilian Constituent Assembly. Assuming that the Constitution is a political institution in its fullest sense, this paper will examine the Constituent as the locus representing a milestone in Brazilian political transition, a clear process of institutional change. The 1988's Constitution, "Cidadã" ("Citizen"), as it became known, was the target of the influence of various external groups. In my master's research, we've showed that the Departamento Intersindical de Assessoria Parlamenar (Department of Inter-Parliamentary Advisory) (DIAP) articulated a consensual project of working class organizations, able to modify the union agenda for the Constituent Assembly. The DIAP acted in ANC (National Constituent Assembly) with professional and successful "lobbyists" techniques. In this PhD project, we will continue this study about pressure groups. We seek to assess whether similar organizations in other areas also exerted significant influence through their "lobbies". We have selected the areas of health and education to study. Because of the multiple organizational characteristics of these two areas (discussed in the project), we believe that studying them will allow us to understand the points of interests' conflict in public-private axis, and the organizational strategies of the various groups in this process. The research of these two "cases", summed with the DIAP studies and previous research, should contribute to the understanding of the acting ways of pressure group's "lobbies", as well as its effectiveness and relevance in the 1987-1988 Constituent. (AU)