Redistribution that does not transform
state capacities and the reproduction of inequalities in Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20831552Keywords:
state capacities, inequality, redistribution, Public policyAbstract
This article analyzes the paradox of redistributive policy in Brazil, characterized by the coexistence of instruments effective in the immediate alleviation of poverty and the persistence of high levels of structural inequality. Using an institutional and historical-structural approach, the study argues that the limitation of redistributive effects does not stem from the ineffectiveness of income transfer programs, widely recognized for their capacity to reduce poverty and expand basic social protection, but rather from the incoherence of the institutional arrangement in which these instruments are embedded. The analysis highlights how the regressivity of the tax system, the unequal pattern of public spending allocation, especially in education, and the concentration of benefits resulting from economic incentives neutralize a significant portion of the redistributive gains of social policies. The article maintains that the Brazilian State operates with selective capacities, strong in implementing policies with low distributive conflict and fragile when redistribution implies confronting consolidated economic interests. Furthermore, it argues that the historical legacy of slavery and the limits of substantive democracy contribute to the low political legitimacy of structural redistribution. It isconcluded that redistribution in Brazil functions predominantly as a mechanism for compensation and social stability, and not as an instrument for transforming inequalities, reinforcing the need to rethink the role of the State and the coordination of public policy instruments.
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