risk of appendicitis

Lula needs to assemble a coalition government, but he can’t stop being a monopolist

We have once again observed great difficulties for a government of the pt share powers and resources with allied parties, including some resolutely committed to his electoral victory. Many believe that this monopolistic behavior stems from a kind of PT “greed” for power and resources. As tempting as this explanation may seem, there are other elements that also explain this conduct.

Political parties that win majority elections in multiparty institutional environments face a crucial dilemma between control and delegation. On the one hand, they must delegate powers and resources so that other parties feel motivated and committed to participating in a coalition government. On the other hand, by delegating power and resources to allied parties, they run the risk of seeing policies implemented and resources allocated far from their preferences.

There are several ways to try to alleviate this dilemma. You can, for example, do this FHC extension, which has appointed executive secretaries of its choice to monitor the behavior of ministries occupied by allied parties. By following this strategy, FHC has minimized the risks of power sharing by taking into account the political weight of each allied party in Congress.

In the article The Watchdogs Among Us: How Presidents Monitor Coalitions in Brazil’s Multiparty Regimewhich I wrote with the collaboration of Mariana Batista, Sérgio Praça and Félix Lopez, show that, as second in the hierarchy of ministries, executive secretaries can play the role of “watchdog” whenever the actions of ministries deviate from the trajectory desired by the managing director.

Unlike FHC, Lula, the few times it has delegated ministries to coalition partners, it has done so behind closed doors; i.e. the minister and the executive secretary belonged to the same party. Since this choice reduces the president’s control, Lula was more concerned with delegating powers to allies, preferring to concentrate the vast majority of ministries in the same PT.

It is no news, therefore, that the PT has treated its allies warily and in a utilitarian manner. Monopoly was the answer to this dilemma. However, governing in coalition requires trust and delegation of power and resources to partners. The PT, preferring to be in control of public policies and resources, treats partners as appendages. Lira turned into the best appendage Lula could have. The problem is that have center and Lira as a partner can turn into appendicitis.

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Source: Terra

Camila

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.