Brazil Expert Report-1.pdf

This question addresses two different stakeholder groups. Amongst the economic interest groups are business corporations, umbrella federations (such as the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo, FIESP) and financial institutions, whereas social interest groups consist of trade and students’ unions, non-­‐governmental organizations, social movements, the media and the Catholic Church. The development strategy of the Lula government, though liberal in orientation, placed great emphasis on the positive contribution that an active and strategically oriented state can give in the search for national development. New institutions for state-­‐business dialogue and broader state-­society dialogue were created. In doing so, the government sought to engage the business sector and the wider society through institutionalized channels with the aim of ensuring sustainable and more widely shared economic growth as well as legitimacy in the population. Thus it can be said that the Brazilian government is able to gather support from both economic and social actors, but the impact of each actor is distinct. Stakeholders with high power and influence (particularly business corporations, financial institutions, the Catholic Church and the media) are more likely to be consulted and their influence over government decisions is sometimes even deemed excessive, particularly during the election period. Still, less powerful actors are also incorporated to the public policy. Ultimately, there is a dependency relationship between the government and its stakeholders, as no public policy can be successful without the support of such interest groups. INCRA Brazil Expert Report 25