O governo estadual na experiência política brasileira: os desempenhos legislativos das assembléias estaduais

Este artigo analisa o volume e a dinamica da produção legislativa em 12 assembléias legislativas estaduais brasileiras durante duas legislaturas, 1999-2002 e 2002-2006. Em primeiro lugar, constatamos que a dinâmica legislativa das assembléias estaduais depende dos recursos institucionais conferidos constitucionalmente aos atores políticos pela Carta de 1988 que restringe a legislação proposta pelos deputados estaduais e limita a autonomia legislativa do Governador. Apesar de indícios claros da existência de uma dinâmica partidária relevante e um jogo efetivo entre governo e oposição nas assembléias que explica as variações encontradas entre os estados. Em segundo lugar, sinalizamos uma dinâmica legislativa estadual diversificada que não se restringe ao predomínio do poder executivo. O volume de propostas apresentadas pelos deputados estaduais que não distribuem benefícios concentrados sinaliza para uma agenda pelo menos "desejada", principalmente direcionada a definir normas e diretrizes das políticas públicas estaduais. Por outro lado, é evidente que o sucesso legislativo dos deputados estaduais é elevado se comparado ao dos deputados federais, mas basicamente restrito a uma categoria de norma: a concessão de benefícios concentrados, destacando-se a categoria das declarações de utilidades públicas. O esforço de pesquisa aqui empreendido e os dados apresentados chamam a atenção para a necessidade de futuras pesquisas sobre as assembléias estaduais em busca de uma melhor compreensão do funcionamento das instituições brasileiras no âmbito subnacional.

STATE INSTITUTIONS, POWER, AND SOCIAL NETWORKS IN BRAZILIAN URBAN POLICIES

A large historiographic tradition has studied the Brazilian state, yet we know relatively little about its internal dynamics and particularities. The role of informal, personal, and unintentional ties has remained underexplored in most policy network studies, mainly because of the pluralist origin of that tradition. It is possible to use network analysis to expand this knowledge by developing mesolevel analysis of those processes. This article proposes an analytical framework for studying networks inside policy communities. This framework considers the stable and resilient patterns that characterize state institutions, especially in contexts of low institutionalization, particularly those found in Latin America and Brazil. The article builds on research on urban policies in Brazil to suggest that networks made of institutional and personal ties structure state organizations internally and insert them,into broader political scenarios. These networks, which I call state fabric, frame politics, influence public policies, and introduce more stability and predictability than the majority of the literature usually considers. They also form a specific power resource-positional power, associated with the positions that political actors occupy-that influences politics inside and around the state.

Challenges for nursing education in Angola: the perception of nurse leaders affiliated with professional education institutions

Background: Angola is one of the African countries with the highest morbidity and mortality rates and a devastating lack of human resources for health, including nursing. The World Health Organization stimulates and takes technical cooperation initiatives for human resource education and training in health and education, with a view to the development of countries in the region. The aim in this study was to identify how nurses affiliated with nursing education institutions perceive the challenges nursing education is facing in Angola. Methods: After consulting the National Directory of Human Resources in Angola, the nurse leaders affiliated with professional nursing education institutions in Angola were invited to participate in the study by email. Data were collected in February 2009 through the focus group technique. The group of participants was focused on the central question: what are the challenges faced for nursing education in your country? To register and understand the information, besides the use of a recorder, the reporters elaborated an interpretative report. Data were coded using content analysis. Results: Fourteen nurses participated in the meeting, most of whom were affiliated with technical nursing education institutions. It was verified that the nurse leaders at technical and higher nursing education institutions in Angola face many challenges, mainly related to the lack of infrastructure, absence of trained human resources, bureaucratic problems to regularize the schools and lack of material resources. On the opposite, the solutions they present are predominantly centered on the valuation of nursing professionals, which implies cultural and attitude changes. Conclusions: Public health education policies need to be established in Angola, including action guidelines that permit effective nursing activities. Professional education institutions need further regularizations and nurses need to be acknowledged as key elements for the qualitative enhancement of health services in the country.

A hearing report from Brazil

The past several decades, the need for hearing health services is still great, especially in the northeast, the Amazonian, and the southern regions Brazil, officially Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest Portuguese-speaking country, and the fifth largest country in the world by population and by land. The vast land not only brings rich natural resources but also large varieties of exotic vegetation and wildlife. One hundred and ninety-three million inhabitants live in five geographical regions with diverse cultural practices influenced by immigrants from Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany, and other countries. Brazilian people generally are warm-hearted, very welcoming, and resilient. They are optimistic and creative despite having encountered many economic downturns and political challenges throughout history. A bachelor's degree is the entry level for the profession. As only 19 percent of the population aged 18–24 years have access to higher education, the competition for admissions is fierce, especially in government institutions. High school students need to pass tests of general knowledge in a national examination and a university-specific examination. Government educational institutions offer good education without charging tuition. The majority of scientific papers are also produced by scholars working in government institutions. Private institutions are generally ranked lower in academic rigor (Behlau and Gasparini, 2006), except for a few top-ranking institutions. The fields of speech-language pathology and audiology are marked by rapid changes in recent years. Currently, there are 104 undergraduate programs recognized by the Ministry of Education and distributed in all but three federal states of Brazil.