Medidas provisórias: os efeitos não antecipados da EC 32 nas relações entre Executivo e Legislativo / Provisional measures: the unanticipated effects of EC 32 in the relations between the Executive and Legislative

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

This dissertation focuses on the Constitutional Amendment n.32 of 2001, which regulates the use of provisional measures (the Brazilian president´s executive decrees) and sets material limits on its content and more rigorous proceedings. Among its main rules were the prohibition of decree re-issuances and the establishment of a 45-day period for provisional measures to be appreciated by the Congress, under penalty of limiting the legislative agenda. First, the dissertation examines the reasons that led lawmakers to adopt the new rules. The argument is that such adoption was not the congressmen´s reaction against the president´s usurpation of the legislative function, as had been then justified. The advance in the constitutional amendment of the provisional measures results mainly from an internal division in the government coalition, which paved the way for the strategic behavior of the opposition. Moreover, changes in the opinion of the Justices of Brazilian Supreme Court and the Brazilian Bar Association´s campaign for the limitation of the instrument increased the costs of delaying the assessment of the proposal. Events taking place in other arenas have changed the payoffs of the players in the parliamentary arena, creating incentives for cooperation between government and the opposition. Finally, the upcoming presidential elections and the uncertainty about each party´s roles in the next government provided an environment conducive to agreement. Next, we investigated the effects of the new rules in the relationship between executive and legislative branches. Contrary to expectations, the new proceedings failed to reduce the number of presidential decrees. The use of the instrument increased in the years following the approval of the constitutional amendment. The main reason was the mechanism to limit the agenda under Constitutional Amendment n.32, which secured the president wide control over the legislative agenda. The provisional measures started to be assessed within 120 days, with a high percentage of approval. The unexpected effect of the constitutional amendment is explained through the flawed assumptions that led the campaign for the limitation of provisional measures. The "usurpation of legislative powers" was justified by the paralysis of Congressmen, who refrained from voting the provisional measures and left room for the Executive to legislate unilaterally. Broader use of the instrument in the period following the Constitutional Amendment n.32 confirms that the provisional measures are not used against the preferences of the majority. Instead, even with mandatory voting in the floor and the frequent use of legislative quorum denial mechanisms by the opposition, the government emerges victorious in most of the votes. Thus, control of the agenda is useful to coordinate the preferences of the majority and strengthen its power.

ASSUNTO(S)

provisional measures mudança institucional medidas provisórias executive and legislative branches poderes executivo e legislativo institutional change constitutional amendment emenda constitucional

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados