Participatory Governance in Industrial Policy:
Lessons from Brazil’s Health Reform and SUS
Abstract
International experience underscores the importance of participatory arenas in building resilient industrial policies (IPs). In Brazil, however, IPs suffer from institutional fragmentation, centralized decision-making, and limited engagement with civil society. This article investigates how the institutional architecture developed through the health reform and the Unified Health System (SUS) can offer valuable lessons for enhancing the participatory governance of industrial policy, with particular focus on the National Council of Industry (CNI) and the National Council for Industrial Development (CNDI). Drawing on a historical analysis, the study mobilizes three analytical dimensions (articulation capacity, representative cohesion, and conflict mediation) to examine the constraints on institutional stability. The findings suggest that weaknesses in these dimensions undermine the resilience and legitimacy of Brazilian industrial policy. The study highlights the need to redesign participatory arenas, decentralize decision-making, and institutionalize enduring mechanisms for consensus-building and monitoring, in order to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of Brazil’s neo-industrialization strategies.
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References
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