Foreword

Brazil is one of the biggest democracies in the world, and the largest in Latin America. Yet, as in many other countries, Brazilian democracy faces challenges that include stark inequalities, high unemployment, rising prices, and the need for evolving regulatory frameworks to keep the pace of rapid technological advances. Brazil is also grappling with the effects of climate change: the country is home to the Amazon rainforest, a crucial source of biodiversity threatened by environmental degradation. These are exacerbated by underlying domestic challenges including corruption and, more recently, heightened political polarisation and the spread of mis- and disinformation, as evidenced by the riots in Brasilia in January 2023.

Trust in public institutions is essential for democracy and will be key to helping Brazil effectively address these challenges. Yet, around seven in ten Brazilians think that public institutions are not working in the public interest and trust in government and public institutions has reached an all-time low, according to data collected in April 2022. Focusing on building public trust could help bring about a cultural shift within the public administration, strengthen the legitimacy of public institutions and nurture social cohesion.

Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in Brazil emphasises the importance of making public institutions more responsive through the systematic use of user-centred design of policies and services and ensuring that all public services use “feedback loops” to address citizens’ input. The report also recognises the potential to further institutionalise participatory practices, enhance collaboration and reduce fragmentation among public agencies and levels of government, by investing in the technical capacity of the civil service and integrating long-term thinking into policymaking. Finally, it stresses the need to develop a holistic approach to public communication, instil a culture of openness and strengthen the integrity system. In doing so, Brazil could ensure that its public governance is more resilient and sustainable and can adapt to the changing needs of society.

Brazil’s past public governance efforts have served as a significant example for Latin American countries in areas such as civil service reform, open government, and digital government. By carrying out this study, Brazil becomes the first country in Latin America to set trust as a key policy objective and driver for public sector improvement, paving the way for other countries in the region to undertake a similar analysis.

This report is the result of close collaboration between the OECD and the Comptroller General of Brazil (Controladoria-Geral da União – CGU) and was carried out together with an Integrity Review of Brazil. It draws on quantitative information collected in April 2022 through the OECD Trust Survey carried out in Brazil and benefits from comparative data gathered through the 2021 OECD Trust Survey in 22 countries, including two OECD Latin American Members, Colombia and Mexico. In addition, it relies on insights provided in around 40 interviews with government officials, civil society representatives and academics in Brazil, as well as input provided by minority leaders from the Amazon region who took part in in-depth focus interviews. This report is the fifth country study in the OECD series “Building Trust in Public Institutions” following Korea in 2018, Finland in 2021, Norway in 2022 and New Zealand in 2023.

The report was approved by the Public Governance Committee on 10 November 2023 and prepared for publication by the Secretariat.