institutional bypasses in brazil: overcoming ex-ante resistance to reforms

Institutional Bypasses in Brazil:Overcoming Ex-Ante Resistance

to Reforms

Mariana Mota Prado University of Toronto

Manchester, May 16, 2014

What is an Institutional Bypass?

What is a Bypass?

What is a Bypass?

What is an Institutional Bypass?

People

DysfunctionalInstitution

Service/Function

New Institution

Institutional Bypass

(i) it keeps the pre-existing institutions in place; (ii) it creates an alternative pathway through

which to deliver government services or discharge governmental functions;

(iii) it aims at being more efficient or functional than the pre-existing institution.

(Prado 2011)

Presentation Structure

1. Relevance2. Examples from Brazil

3. Implications

Institutions Matter

1. Why is this relevant?

1. Why is this relevant?

Failed Reforms

1. Why is this Relevant?

Institutions Matterbut we do not know

how to transform dysfunctional

institutions

1. Why is this Relevant?

Political

Cognitive

Ex-Ante Obstacles to Reforms:• Resistance

• Institutional Interconnections(formal and informal)

Why is this Relevant?

People

DysfunctionalInstitution

Service/Function

New Institution Political Cognitive

Part 2

Examples of Institutional Bypasses from Brazil

2. Examples from Brazil

• Poupatempo (SP)• UPPs (RJ)

•Private Security

2. Examples from Brazil

Time Saver

2. Examples from Brazil

One-stop shopFor gov’t services

Identity CardDriver’s LicenseWorker’s Card

Criminal Records

2. Examples from Brazil

Buildings:- Functional

Design - Close to the

Subway

2. Examples from Brazil

Expansion of UPPs:1 unit (2008) > 3 units (2009)

> 32 units (2013)10,000 (2008) > 350,000 people

2. Examples from Brazil

Poupatempo is an Institutional Bypass

(Prado and Chasin, 2011)

What is an Institutional Bypass?

People

DysfunctionalInstitution

Service/Function

New Institution

2. Examples from Brazil

Citizens of SP

Police Station

Identity Card

Poupatempo

Prodesp?60

days5-15 days

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs are an Institutional Bypass

(Willis and Prado, forthcoming)

2. Examples from Brazil

New Police ForcePacifying Police Unit

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs- Low-income Communities

- New Recruits-Different Training- Proximity

2. Examples from Brazil

People

Old Police Force

Service/Function

New Institution UPPs

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs as a New Institution?

2009 Decree – Informal2011 Decree – Formal

2013 Decree – Further Separation

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs in 2009Governor

Secretary of Public Security

Commander in Chief

Operational Commander

Area Commander

Battalion Battalion Battalion

UPP PMERJ

But there were informal

mechanisms

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs in 2011

Governor

Secretary of Public Security

Commander in Chief

UPPsOperational Commander

Area Commander

Battalion Battalion BattalionUPP PMERJ

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs in 2013Governor

Secretary of Public Security

Commander in Chief

UPPsOperational Commander

Area Commander

Battalion Battalion BattalionPMERJ PMERJ

Delegacia de Polícia

Judiciária Militar

2. Examples from Brazil

UPPs are not pacifying the communities

They aim at pacifying the police itself

2. Examples from Brazil

Private Security Forces

2. Examples from Brazil

People

Old Police Force

Service/Function

New Institution Private Security

2. Examples from BrazilAgent/ Purpose Different function Same function

Private Parties (1) Security Guards for Companies (e.g. Banks)

(3) Private body guards and Street Vigilantes (Latin American security services)

State (2) Special protection to government officials; witness protection programs

(4) Private military services, outsourcing of prisons and police forces Original

Institution?

Not the same

function

Part 3

Implications

Failed Reforms

3. Implications

Not a PanaceaFor three reasons:

1.Undesirable Bypasses2.Badly Designed Bypasses

3.Failed Bypasses

3. Implications

#1: Undesirable BypassesWhat about Public Bypasses?

“Saving time” by reducing bureaucratic scrutiny

e.g. driving skills

3. Implications

#2 Badly Designed Bypasses

Central Unions (CUT) = Too attached to

the pre-existing institution(Prado and Gomes, in progress)

3. Implications

#3 Failed Bypasses

Previous Community Policing Efforts in RJ > GPAE

3. Implications

Institutional Bypasses:We need to understand

WHEN and WHYthey succeed

Thank you!mariana.prado@utoronto.ca