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The Lobbying Process
Three basic styles of lobbying are found in Brasília: the
interest group sends its own representatives to Brasília,
when the legislative agenda warrants; the interest group has its
own representatives permanently installed in Brasília; or
the group contracts with lobbyists in Brasília to represent
its interests. Professional lobbyists systematically monitor the
activities of Congress and the executive branch regarding legislative
agendas and procedures. Visits by groups and individual interests
to strategic members of Congress are organized frequently. In some
cases, the deputies' geographical vote profiles for the last election
within their state are analyzed for the client. When the interest
group has a large membership, bus caravans to Brasília are
organized to pressure Congress or the executive branch.
As in many legislatures, the Brazilian Congress also has inside
lobbyists; that is, Chamber of Deputies or Senate staff, and some
members themselves (the so-called single-issue deputy or senator).
Because staff are very important to the legislative process, they
are cultivated assiduously by lobbyists, and many become sensitive
to (or eventually agents for) certain interest groups. In response
to these pressures, the Chamber of Deputies Research Staff Association
began preparing a Code of Ethics in 1993.
Campaign contributions are local and are an integral part of the
lobbying process. The Ministry of Finance issues electoral bonus
receipts for campaign contributions. Many contributing businesses,
however, have used these receipts to evade taxes by providing documentation
for their bogus records, known as their caixa dois (second set of
books). Several bills have been introduced to address this problem,
but no legislation had been passed by early 1997. The Chamber of
Deputies allows groups to receive lobbying credentials. In the 1991-92
session, thirty-nine groups (twenty-eight business groups) received
credentials, in addition to all ministries and sixteen other public-sector
agencies. The Senate does not offer credentials.
Data as of April 1997
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