This study aims to examine which conceptions of public transparency are present in bills of law introduced to the Brazilian House of Representatives. By combining content and document analysis to investigate 357 drafts proposed between 2003 and 2018, we scrutinize how often lawmakers propose transparency policies, what arguments and reasons they more recurrently use, the extent to which authoring proposals on public transparency is associated with their respective party ideologies, and the main characteristics of those bills passed into law. The findings reveal what we can be described as an ‘unproductive hyperactivity’ since the significant number of projects under consideration at the House usually adds little to existing transparency policies. In addition, the justifications underpinning many of the bills are marked by criticism toward political adversaries or evince the corporatist defense of lawmakers’ private interests – underlining the persistence of corruption and patrimonialism as characteristics of the Brazilian political culture.
AckermanJohn MSandoval-BallesterosIrma E (2006) The Global Explosion of Freedom Information Laws. Administrative Law Review58(1): 85–130.
2.
AltheideDavidSchneiderChristopher J (2013) Qualitative Media Analysis. London: Sage.
3.
AlvesRenan S (2014) O que mudou na produção legislativa brasileira [What has changed in Brazilian legislative production]? Brasília: UnB.
4.
AmorimPaula Karini (2012) Democracia e Internet: a transparência de gestão nos portais eletrônicos das capitais brasileiras [Democracy and the Internet: Transparency on the websites of Brazilian state capitals]. PhD Thesis, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil.
5.
Amorim NetoOctavioSantosFabiano (2002) A produção legislativa do Congresso [The legislative production of Nacional Congress]. In ViannaLuiz W (ed.) A democracia e os três poderes no Brasil [Democracy and the three powers in Brazil]. Belo Horizonte: Ed. UFMG; Rio de Janeiro: Iuperj/Faperj.
BalkinJack M (1999) How Mass Media Simulate Political Transparency. Cultural Values3(4): 393–413.
8.
BallCarolyn (2009) What Is Transparency?Public Integrity11(4): 293–307.
9.
BanisarDavid (2006) Freedom of Information Around the World. London: Privacy International.
10.
BardinLaurence (1978) Análise de conteúdo [Content Analysis]. Lisboa: Edições 70.
11.
BaumeSandrinePapadopoulosYannis (2018) Transparency: From Bentham’s inventory of virtuous effects to contemporary evidence-based skepticism. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy21(2): 169–192.
12.
BenoitKennethLaverMichael (2006) Party Policy in Modern Democracies. London: Routledge.
13.
BenthamJeremy (2011) Da publicidade [On Publicity]. Revista Brasileira de Ciência Política6: 277–294.
14.
BerlinerDaniel (2014) The Political Origins of Transparency. The Journal of Politics76(2): 479–491.
15.
BertholiniFredericoPereiraCarlos (2017) Pagando o preço de governar [Paying the price to govern]. Revista de Administração Pública51(4): 528–550.
BolognesiBrunoRibeiroEdnaldoCodatoAdriano (2023) Uma nova classificação ideológica dos partidos políticos brasileiros [A new ideological classification of Brazilian political parties]. Dados66(2): e20210164.
18.
BorbaJulianFerreiraMatheus GMda SilvaGregório ULde AmorimLucas de C (2024) Polarização ideológica entre deputados federais no Brasil (2005–2021) [Ideological polarization among federal deputies in Brazil (2005–2021)]. Estudos Históricos37(81): 1–28.
19.
CheibubJosé AntonioFigueiredoArgelinaLimongiFernando (2009) Partidos políticos e governadores como determinantes do comportamento legislativo na câmara dos deputados, 1988–2006 [Political parties and governors as determinants of legislative behavior in the Brazilian House of Representatives, 1988–2006]. Dados52: 263–299.
20.
EpitácioSara de Sousa FernandesResendeRoberta Carnelo (2020) Direita e esquerda no Brasil [Right and left-wing parties in Brazil]. Brasiliana: Journal for Brazilian Studies9(1): 433–455.
21.
FreitasAndréa (2012) Migração Partidária na Câmara dos Deputados de 1987 a 2009 [Changing party affiliations in the Brazilian House of Representatives from 1987 to 2009]. Dados55(4): 951–986.
22.
García-SánchezIsabelFrías-AceitunoJosé-ValerianoRodríguez-DomínguezLuis (2013) Determinants of Corporate Social Disclosure in Spanish Local Governments. Journal of Cleaner Production36: 60–72.
23.
GilliganThomas WKrehbielKeith (1994) The Gains from Exchange Hypothesis of Legislative Organization. Legislative Studies Quarterly19(2): 181–214.
24.
HermanFellipeMarquesFrancisco Paulo JamilMiolaEdna (2022) What Factors Influence the Quality of Local Governments’ Digital Transparency? Evidence from the Brazilian case. Opinião Pública28(3): 857–884.
25.
HoodChristopher (2006) Transparency in Historical Perspective. In HoodChristopherHealdDavid (eds) Transparency: The Key to Better Governance. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 3–24.
26.
InácioMagna (2007) Estrutura e funcionamento da Câmara dos Deputados [Structure and functioning of the House of Representatives]. In MeloRanullfoSáezManuel Alcántara (eds) A democracia brasileira [The Brazilian Democracy]. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG, 199–235.
27.
IzumiMauricio Yoshida (2017) Construindo a agenda política [Building the political agenda]. In: 41th ANPOCS, Caxambu, 23–27October2017.
28.
KatzmannRobert A (1989) The American Legislative Process as a Signal. Journal of Public Policy9(3): 287–306.
29.
KlüverHeikeSagarzazuIñaki (2016) Setting the Agenda or Responding to Voters? Political parties, voters and issue attention. West European Politics39(2): 380–398.
30.
KniessAndressa B (2023) Como os deputados federais compreendem a ideia de transparência pública? [How do federal deputies understand the idea of public transparency?]. PhD Thesis, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil.
31.
KniessAndressa BMarquesFrancisco Paulo Jamil (2021) Como o agente fiscalizador utiliza a comunicação online? A ideia de transparência pública nas redes sociais da Controladoria-Geral da União [How does the oversight institution use online communication? The idea of public transparency on the social networks of the Office of the Comptroller General]. Opinião Pública27(1): 90–126.
32.
KrippendorffKlaus (2004) Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology. London: Sage.
33.
LameirasMarianaSilvaTiagoTavaresAntónio (2018) An Empirical Analysis of Social Media Usage by Local Governments in Portugal. In: 11th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, Galway, Ireland, 4–6 April 2018.
34.
LamounierBolívar (1994) A democracia brasileira de 1985 à década de 1990 [Brazilian democracy from 1985 to the 1990s]. In Velloso, João Paulo dos Reis (Coord.) Governabilidade, sistema político e violência urbana [Governance, political system, and the urban violence]. Rio de Janeiro: J. Olympio, 26–63.
35.
LindstedtCatharinaNaurínDaniel (2010) Transparency Is Not Enough: Making transparency effective in reducing corruption. International Political Science Review31(3): 301–3022.
36.
LobatoLenaura (1997) Algumas considerações sobre a representação de interesses no processo de formulação de políticas públicas. [Some considerations on the representation of interests in the process of building public policies] Revista de Administração Pública31(1): 30–48.
37.
LopesFrancisco CristianoFreireGeovana M Cartaxo de Arruda (2010) Governo eletrônico e accountability [E-government and accountability]. In: 19th CONPEDI, Fortaleza, 9–12June2010.
38.
MichenerGregory (2011) FOI Laws Around the World. Journal of Democracy22(2): 145–159.
39.
MichenerGregory (2015) How Cabinet Size and Legislative Control Shape the Strength of Transparency Laws. Governance28(1): 77–94.
40.
MichenerGregoryBerschKatherine (2011) Conceptualizing the Quality of Transparency. Political Concepts49: 1–27.
41.
MurilloMartin J (2015) Evaluating the Role of Online Data Availability: The case of economic and institutional transparency in sixteen Latin American nations. International Political Science Review36(1): 42–59.
42.
NicolauJairo (2000) Disciplina partidária e base parlamentar na Câmara dos Deputados no primeiro governo Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995–1998) [Party discipline and the Executive’s constituency in the House of Representatives during the first Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration (1995–1998)]. Dados43: 709–735.
43.
OliverRichard W (2004) What Is Transparency?New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
44.
PozenDavid E (2020) Seeing Transparency More Clearly. Public Administration Review80(2): 326–331.
45.
QueirozAntônio Augusto (2022) Os ‘Cabeças’ do Congresso Nacional [The ‘Heads’ of the National Congress]. Brasília: Diap.
46.
RibeiroPedro FlorianoLocatelliLuísde AssisPedro Paulo (2022) ‘Acompanho o Meu Partido’: Organização Partidária e Comportamento Legislativo no Brasil [‘I Follow My Party’: Party Organization and Legislative Behavior in Brazi]. Dados65(4): 1–37.
47.
RicciPaolo (2003) O Conteúdo da Produção Legislativa Brasileira [The content of Brazilian legislative production]. Revista de Ciências Sociais46(4): 699–734.
48.
RochaMarta MendesBarbosaCássio Felipe (2008) Regras, incentivos e comportamento [Rules, incentives, and behavior]. Revista de Sociologia Política16: 93–104.
49.
SantosFabiano Guilherme M (2014) O Legislativo em busca de informação [The Legislative in search of information]. Brasília: Ipea.
50.
SantosManoel Leonardo (2008) Teoria e método nos estudos sobre o legislativo brasileiro [Theory and method in studies on the Brazilian legislature]. Revista Brasileira de Informação Bibliográfica em Ciências Sociais66: 65–89.
51.
TaroucoGabriela SMadeiraRafael M (2013) Partidos, programas e o debate sobre esquerda e direita no Brasil [Political parties, programs and the debate about left and right in Brazil]. Revista de Sociologia e Politica21: 149–165.
52.
UnkelJulianHaimMario (2021) Googling Politics: Parties, sources, and issue ownerships on Google in the 2017 German Federal Election Campaign. Social Science Computer Review39(5): 844–861.
53.
UrbinatiNadia (2013) Crise e metamorfoses da democracia [Crisis and metamorphoses of democracy]. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Sociais28(82): 5–16.
54.
VerriFrancisco (2022) Entrevista com Reginaldo Lopes [Interview with Reginaldo Lopes]. In GeraldesElen Cristina. (Org.). Dez anos da Lei de Acesso à Informação [Ten years of the Brazilian Freedom of Information Act]. São Paulo: INTERCOM, 704–711.
55.
WoodTimAronczykMelissa (2020) Publicity and Transparency. American Behavioral Scientist64(11): 1531–1544.
56.
ZuccoCesarPowerTimothy J (2024) It’s My Party and I’ll Lie if I Want to: Elite ideological obfuscation in post-authoritarian settings. Party Politics: 1–13.
57.
ŽuffováMária (2020) Do FOI Laws and Open Government Data Deliver as Anti-Corruption Policies? Evidence from a cross-country study. Government Information Quarterly37(3): 101480.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
