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The aim of this paper is to empirically evaluate the electoral competition in the Brazilian election for Congress. The evaluation focused on the regional dimension of electoral competition, what is sustained by concepts such as informal electoral districts (AMES, 2001; 2003) or political hamlets (HUNTER AND POWER, 2007; ZUCCO, 2008). This paper considers electoral results from 1994 to 2010 and uses the imbalance index (TAAGEPERA, 1979) in a timing frame perspective as basic criteria because the Effective Number of Parties does not capture the decentralization of electoral competition. Results suggests that the personal and regional political control is not the rule of political competition in Brazil; the informal district theory lacks of empirical support and, the politicians that are successful in avoiding competition do not always get elected and vary in their power over electorate through time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the institutional mechanisms that are employed for passing on federal funds to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on a regular basis, when they are considered as being the executors of public policies. Starting from a theoretical reference point that analyses the relationship between the Government and NGOs in the provision of public services and the creation of the Single Health System (SUS) the contractual system of the national policy for fighting HIV/Aids, which was implemented by the initially centralized National STD/Aids Program and which over the last few years has involved states and municipalities in a more intense way, is described. The paper compares the centralized and decentralized systems and indicates the difficulties encountered in this transition. Documents were analyzed that set out the rules for the passing on of funds to NGOs under the Government's HIV/Aids policy and federal managers and members of NGOs were interviewed. The conclusion reached is that the federal model has institutionalized the support for NGO projects and that this system entered a new phase that started with decentralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the intergovernmental coordination of the Bolsa Família Program (PBF), given its goal to tackle poverty in a country with deep social and regional inequality. It seeks to qualify the debate on the centralization of cash transfer programs in Brazil through the analysis of intergovernmental relations adopted under the three main dimensions of the PBF - cash transfer, monitoring of conditionalities and articulation of complementary programs considering the federative implications derived from the intersectoral perspective that drives the Program. Two categories of challenges are highlighted. The first one relates to the need for greater investment in space and opportunities for intergovernmental negotiation, especially in the dimension of income transfer, which initially was characterized by centralization. In the second, the intergovernmental matter demands the organization of a coordinated national strategy for the articulation of complementary programs, suggesting greater involvement of states in the regional coordination of the Program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major effort has been necessary to achieve decentralization of the health programs in Brazil, therefore essentially implying the creation of innovative practices. A number of researchers have been facing the challenge to carry on studies evaluating the implementation of health programs. Some ongoing research has been indicating interpersonal relations as an important factor, which explains the different consequences. This paper intends to discuss the importance of interpersonal relations in the implementation of health programs starting from the contribution of social network's analyses. Investigations towards the comprehension of performance variations in health programs which incorporate such outlook will be proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]