Federalism and decentralization in the 1988 Constitution: The decision-making process, conflicts, and alliances

The "third wave of democratization" has produced different experiences and results in countries that have participated in it. In some, redemocratizati on has meant the drafting of "refounding" constitutions, generating new pol itical and social pacts and commitments. In others, redemocratization has b een accompanied by policy-making and financial decentralization to sub-nati onal governmental levels. In many federal countries, redemocratization, dec entralization, and new constitutions have changed the role of federative bo dies. In Brazil, all these factors have occurred simultaneously. This artic le analyzes the decision-making process in the National Constituent Assembl y vis-a-vis changes in the Federation and the decision to decentralize poli cy-making and financial power to the sub-national levels. The (re)construct ion of a federal system focused on the division of political and fiscal pow er without leading to an imbalance between the federative bodies is an intr insically contradictory task, thereby generating conflicts and tensions. Ba sed on empirical data, the study seeks to understand a) the paradox of a co untry with an agenda of problems that require national policies in the deci sion to decentralize political and financial power and b) the conflicts, al liances, and contradictions generated by the decisions made by members of t he Constituent Assembly in relation to the Federation at that specific mome nt in history.