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Copyright of Journal Public Administration & Social Management / Administração Pública e Gestão Social is the property of Administracao Publica e Gestao Social and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article aims to discuss the capacities of the Brazilian State, particularly the Federal Executive Branch, to produce efficient infrastructure policies that deliver the expected benefits and also obtain support (or consent) from impacted social groups. We argue that the professionalization and technical knowledge of the federal government's public bureaucracy are constrained by low levels of autonomy and intragovernmental cohesion. Likewise, the relationship between the federal bureaucracy and local civil society, subnational governments and accountability agencies are precarious. This situation represents a barrier to the efficiency and legitimacy of state action in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]