A Política Social do Governo Lula (2003-2010):

Abstract

O objetivo desse ensaio é analisar a política social do governo do presidente Luis Inácio "Lula" da Silva (2003-2010) na perspectiva da trajetória da proteção social brasileira nas últimas cinco décadas. Argumenta-se que ela se insere numa longa fase de tensões entre paradigmas (Estado Mínimo versus Estado de Bem-Estar Social) observadas no período entre 1990 e 2002. Essas fricções, intensas nessa quadra, permaneceram vivas entre 2003 e 2005 e arrefeceram entre 2006 e 2010. Mais especificamente, inserida nessa trajetória, a política social de Lula compreende duas etapas bem definidas. A primeira - Mudança ou Continuidade (2003-2005)? - é marcada pela manutenção da ortodoxia econômica que teve consequências nos rumos tensionados da política social. Conviviam no seio do próprio governo forças defensoras do Estado Mínimo e setores que defendiam os direitos universais. A segunda - Ensaios Desenvolvimentistas (2006-2010) - é marcada pelo arrefecimento dessas tensões. A crise financeira internacional (2008) mitigou a hegemonia do pensamento neoliberal e a agenda do "Estado Mínimo" perdeu força. O crescimento econômico voltou a ter destaque na agenda do governo. A melhoria do mundo do trabalho e das contas públicas abriu espaço para a ampliação do gasto social. Caminhou-se para construção de uma estratégia na qual políticas universais e focalizadas passaram ser vistas como complementares. A despeito dessas inflexões positivas, o espectro do retrocesso ainda permaneceu vivo, embora com menor intensidade.

The Instrument Constituency in the Political Subsystem of Brazilian Vocational Education

“…According to Marques and Mendes (2007), the first government of President Lula da Silva (2003Silva ( -2006 was marked by an economic policy that favored agribusiness and national and international financial capital, maintaining a high return on capital and high-interest rates. Due to the economic situation of high inflation rates, measures such as public primary surplus, and the restriction on public spending stood out in this period (Fagnani, 2011). Marques and Mendes (2007) observed that, at the same time, the government implemented several policies aimed at the poorest part of the Brazilian population.…”

“…Marques and Mendes (2007) observed that, at the same time, the government implemented several policies aimed at the poorest part of the Brazilian population. According to Fagnani (2011), the early years of President Lula da Silva's administration was marked by the debate regarding the directions of the social strategy, highlighting the dispute between "focusing" and "universalization," opening space also to elements of the liberal agenda in the social field. Fagnani (2011) explains that from 2003, various mechanisms of pressure and social accountability were implemented, such as national conferences in the area of health, education, social security, urban policy, and policies for women.…”

“…According to Fagnani (2011), the early years of President Lula da Silva's administration was marked by the debate regarding the directions of the social strategy, highlighting the dispute between "focusing" and "universalization," opening space also to elements of the liberal agenda in the social field. Fagnani (2011) explains that from 2003, various mechanisms of pressure and social accountability were implemented, such as national conferences in the area of health, education, social security, urban policy, and policies for women. These mechanisms contributed to institutionalize policies such as the Bolsa Família conditional cash transfer program, the Política Nacional de Assistência Social (PNAS) (national policy of social services, The Sistema Único de Assistência Social (Suas) (unified system of social services), the Sistema Único da Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (Susan) (unified system of food and nutrition security), the Programa Saúde da Família (family health program), and the Programa Universidade para Todos (Prouni) (university for all), as discussed by Fagnani (2011).…”

Pensions and Commodification under the PT Governments (2003–2015)

“…In the 2000s, arguments justifying fiscal adjustment continued to constitute the core of the federal government's official communications on social security. The threat of cuts was ever-present, along with the realization of other measures that had been secondary for the previous government (Fagnani, 2011). In addition to the limits on social spending, the fiscal adjustment regime subjected social security to the systematic reduction of its constitutionally established financing through the mechanism called the "unbundling of Union revenues," which emerged with the Real Plan in 1994 and was later made law.…”

“…The struggle for redemocratization in Brazil was an important milestone on this path, since it disseminated a new social agenda founded on the principles of social security. In this sense, the formal definition of social rights of the 1988 Constitution suggested the structuring of policies inspired by the values of the postwar European welfare state-a concept of social security as a public right guaranteed by the state to all citizens, with the possibility of its acting as a mechanism for the redistribution of income (Fagnani, 2011).…”