Fragile Democracy and the Militarization of Public Safety in Brazil

The literature on democratic consolidation has devoted considerable attention to civil-military relations at the elite level and such matters as the preservation of military coup attempts and the reduction of military autonomy. In general, however, there is insufficient attention in the literature t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Latin American perspectives 2000-05, Vol.27 (3), p.8-31
Main Author: Zaverucha, Jorge
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
(De)militarization
Armed forces
Armies
Authoritarianism
Brazil
Coups d'etat
Criminal procedure
Democracy
DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND INSTITUTIONS
Espionage
Governors
Guns
Impact analysis
International relations
Law enforcement agencies
MILITANT, MILITANCY
Militarism
Military
Military engagements
Military officers
Military operations
Military police
Military reserves
Police
Political power
Public Policy
Public safety
Public spaces
Rule of law
SAFETY, ALL TYPES
STATES
Working groups
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Summary:The literature on democratic consolidation has devoted considerable attention to civil-military relations at the elite level and such matters as the preservation of military coup attempts and the reduction of military autonomy. In general, however, there is insufficient attention in the literature to the issue of the demo cratic control of everyday forms of state coercion. By "everyday forms of state coercion" I mean routine policing, intelligence work, and military operations that do not involve the seizure of the executive or the shutting down of other branches of government. Over time, changes in practice in these realms have the potential for the "hollowing out" of the democratic regimes from within, through the gradual expansion of the budgets, functions, and autonomy of the coercive institutions that engage in them.
ISSN:0094-582X
1552-678X
DOI:10.1177/0094582X0002700302