Políticos, Instituições e Estruturas (inglês)

How citizens’ interests and preferences become public policies, and why do policies put into practice often disappoint? The Politicians, Institutions, and Structures course will provide the Professional Masters in Public Policy’s student with a theoretical and empirical framework to answer these questions from the perspective of comparative political science. The political representation cannot depend solely on the goodwill of the policymaker. The institutional design must consider the incentives that govern the action of politicians and bureaucrats — incentives that are largely antagonistic to the public interest. The ability to elect good politicians and remove incompetent or corrupt ones is the greatest weapon to align the interests of citizens and their rulers. However, historical processes and social structures often limit the effectiveness of electoral accountability. During the course, we will address what are the purposes of political parties, and how historical legacies defined Brazil’s party system. According to this legacy, the type of political representation the parties offer does not necessarily translate public preferences into sound public policies. Notably, the political system often promotes clientelistic practices or under-representation of groups such as women and informal workers. Besides, certain groups acquire a superior organizational capacity, generating a representative imbalance that results in social inequalities.