O artigo tem como objetivo analisar em perspectiva comparada as semelhanças e diferenças entre a cultura política da população residente nos Polos regionais do Norte Fluminense (Macaé e Campos) e na RMRJ. Este artigo foi também motivado pela necessidade de se identificar os principais determinantes da cultura política dessas localidades, a partir dos fatores cognitivos – representados pelos indicadores de Socialização Secundária e Exposição à Mídia Informativa – e dos fatores relacionados à participação política – representados pelos indicadores de Associativismo e Mobilização Sociopolítica.

The paper aims to analyze, in a comparative perspective, the similarities and differences between the political culture of the population residing in the regional centers located in the North of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Campos and Macaé) and the political culture of the population living in the Metropolitan Region. This paper was also motivated by the need to identify the main determinants of the political culture of these places based on cognitive factors – represented by the indicators Secondary Socialization and Exposure to Informational Media – and on factors related to political participation – represented by the indicators Associations and Sociopolitical Mobilization.

This article discusses the formulations of the theoretical school known as the New Political Culture (NPC), seeking to evaluate the limits and possibilities of this approach for interpreting contemporary Brazilian culture. Based on research by the Network of Metropolitan Observatories in partnership with other Brazilian and international institutions, the authors argue that this approach is limited in its ability to analyze current changes in Brazil, where the values and behaviors related to NPC, although gaining strength in recent decades, are far from constituting the main existing cultural grammar.

Dans cet article, on discute les concepts du courant théorique nommé Nouvelle Culture Politique (NCP), cherchant à évaluer les limites et possibilités de cette aproche dans l'interprétation de la culture politique brésilienne contemporaine. À partir d'une recherche effectuée par le Réseau Observatoire des Métropoles, en association avec d'autres institutions nationales et internationales, on considère que cette approche reste limitée lorsqu'il s'agit d'analyser les transformations qui ont lieu au Brésil, où les valeurs et comportements proches de la NCP, bien que se renforçant depuis quelques décennies, sont encore loin de devenir la grammaire culturelle predominante du pays.

This article reports questions related to the training and jobs of biochemistry graduates from Brazilian universities. It is focussed on academic and career paths and on relations between knowledge and work. The main questions addressed in this study were: what have been the paths since undergraduate education? What were graduates doing before their enrolment in master and doctoral programs? Which were their motivations for this? Where do graduates work now? How do they appraise some aspects of their graduate education? Did the degree enlarge their job opportunities and improve work quality? How much do they earn?

This article reports questions related to the training and jobs of chemistry graduates from Brazilian universities. It is focussed on academic and career paths and on relations between knowledge and work. The main questions addressed in this study were: what have been the paths since undergraduate education? what were graduates doing before their enrolment in master and doctoral programs? Which were their motivations for this? Where do graduates work now? How do they appraise some aspects of their graduate education? Did the degree enlarge their job opportunities and improve work quality? How much do they earn?

RESUMO Para analisar a institucionalização de canais alternativos de participação na formulação de políticas públicas no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, o artigo parte do pressuposto de que a relação entre accountability e responsividade nas chamadas “novas democracias” depende basicamente do projeto de institucionalidade adotado e em sua adequação às condições societárias prevalecentes.

ABSTRACT In order to analyze the institutionalization of alternative channels of participation in public policy making in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the paper starts from the assumption that the relationship between accountability and responsiveness in the so called “new democracies” basically depends on the institutional design adopted and on its adequacy to the prevailing societal conditions.

O artigo explora analiticamente as especificidades do processo decisório das reformas tributárias e discute, com referência às iniciativas recentes de reforma constitucional no campo tributário, os interesses em jogo e o padrão de interação política entre eles nessa arena específica, caracterizada como apresentando grande complexidade técnica e média visibilidade política, e tendo como atores fundamentais elites burocráticas e os governadores. O autor conclui que o impasse da reforma tributária recente está ancorado em elementos consociativos do sistema político brasileiro, em problemas de ação coletiva por parte dos governadores, e na "geometria política das perdas" produzidas pela reforma. Finalmente, argumenta-se que os governadores se deparam com uma estrutura de incentivos do tipo "dilema do prisioneiro".

The article analyses the characteristics of the decision-making process of tax reforms. At the empirical level, it focuses on the patterns of political interaction among political actors with specific reference to recent reforms in Brazil. The reform arena is described as exhibiting great technical complexity and medium political salience, and involving basically bureaucratic elites and state governors. The author concludes that the recent deadlock in tax reform can be explained by the consociational elements of the Brazilian political system, by the "political geometry of reform losses", and by collective action problems encountered by state governors. It is further argued that governors face a "prisoner's dilemma" type of incentive structure.

Cet article analyse les caractéristiques du processus décisoire de la Réforme Fiscale, plus particulièrement des modifications constitutionnelles nécessaires à la Réforme Fiscale au Brésil, considérant les intérêts en jeu et le mode d'interaction politique dans cette arène de grande complexité technique et de projection politique limitée, dont les principaux acteurs sont les élites bureaucratiques et le gouverneurs des différents etats. L'auteur conclut que la récente impasse où s'enlise la Réforme Fiscale peut s'expliquer par les éléments consociatifs du système politique brésilien, par les problèmes d'action collective des gouverneurs et par la "géométrie politique des pertes" résultant de cette réforme. Finalement, à ceci s'ajoute l'argument que les gouverneurs des Etats doivent faire face à une structure d'incentifs fiscaux de type de "dilemme de prisonniers".