Journal of Policy Studies
Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University
Article

Building Resilience, Agility, and Trust: The Neo-Weberian State as a Referential Model for Brazilian Public Administration

Alexandre Gomide1, Gabriela Lotta2
1Escola Nacional de Administração Pública (ENAP)
2Public Administration, Fundação Getulio Vargas

ⓒ Copyright 2024 Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: Mar 26, 2024; Accepted: Jun 23, 2024

Published Online: Sep 30, 2024

Abstract

The paper explores the challenges and potential solutions for enhancing Brazilian public administration through the lens of the Neo-Weberian State (NWS) model. It discusses the historical context of Brazil’s public administration, highlighting the coexistence of different administrative mechanisms and the need for a stable, resilient, and agile bureaucracy to address contemporary societal challenges effectively. The article advocates for a paradigmatic shift toward a more coordinated, inclusive, and socially driven public sector, emphasizing the importance of hierarchical mechanisms and public service ethos in safeguarding democracy. By analyzing the trajectory of public administration reforms in Brazil and comparing them to global challenges, the essay underscores the NWS’s potential to bring legitimacy and effectiveness to state actions, ultimately aiming to restore trust in public administration and strengthen democratic governance in Brazil.

Keywords: Neo-Weberian State; Bureaucracy; Resilience; Democracy; Societal Challenges; Brazil