Federalism , democracy and government in Brazil

Issues, hypothesis and evidences

Abstract

The article is a review essay of the studies on federalism in Brazil. The aim is to discuss the especific contribution of Political Science, showing the analitical developments, shortcomings and challanges confronted by the discipline. The discussion is organized around four main themes: 1) the origins of Brazilian federalism; 2) federalism, political representation and de­mocracy; 3) federalism and governability; 4) federalism, intergovernmental relations and pu­blic policies. In the final remarks, there is a suggestion of some conceptual and methodologi­cal issues that the studies on federalism in Brazil should consider.