The civil service in Brazil and Turkey: a comparative study

Abstract

Despite their notable differences, Brazil and Turkey have been widely compared as emerging economic powers led by popular governments in the 2000s. These comparisons have largely ignored the parallel institutional evolution of their civil service since the early 20th century. Throughout the past century, the two countries experienced simultaneous attempts to reform and modernise their public administrations mostly in the Weberian model. From the 1980s onwards, their paths diverged: Brazil after re-democratisation reinforced the central, merit-based structure of its civil service, while Turkey introduced new private sector arrangements and practices. Although today both civil services boast a mix of career and contract arrangements, they also display different structural characteristics, and face opposite sets of challenges regarding meritocracy, professionalism, efficiency and political patronage. While until recently Turkey could be viewed as a relatively successful example of economic and political liberalisation – including integrating NPM principles into the state bureaucracy – the country’s recent decline into authoritarianism and excessive political interference in state institutions have turned it into a cautionary tale for Brazil.