This paper discusses the role of the state governments in the Brazilian federative system in the post-1988 Federal Constitution period, which is much characterized by cooperative and competitive mechanisms between the Union and the states and among the states themselves. The state governments...

Brazil is a federation composed by the Federal Government, twenty-six states and the Federal District and 5,570 municipalities. The organization of the national health system is a shared responsibility of this three spheres of government and must comply to the constitutional principles of...

With a time frame that covers the period after the Federal Constitution of 1988 promulgation, this text describes, analyzes and compares the main attributions reserved to the state governments in the field of education, health and social assistance policies. In addition, it addresses the way in...

A new state debt cycle occurred mainly through external and contracted credit operations with federal banks from 2008, after a long period with few loans and debt stock fall. It is argued that exogenous macroeconomic factors were essential in the downward trend of the debt in the early 2000s,...