Public Policy, Social Rights and Social Justice: Higher Education in the Brazil of the 2000s

The Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 created a system of social protection inspired in the principles of universality, welfare and citizenship. In the years 1990’s, however, the country faced neoliberal policies that distanced the country from the social goals inserted in its Constitution. In the beginning of the new century, especially with the election of President Lula for the Federal Government (2003-2010) – inserted in a shift to left-wing governments throughout the Latin-American region -, the State gained an active role in expanding access to rights for the population, which reflected in improvements in social indicators. Although the role of the State changed significantly in the 2000’s in Brazil, public policies in guaranteeing constitutional social rights in the Brazil of the beginning of the century did have as partner the private sector. We will then seek to briefly analyze a specific set of policies during the 2000s in Brazil in accessing higher education and to give information on the arrangement having as partner the private sector and finds that: i) Was there more equality in accessing rights, given that the Brazilian society is very unequal?; ii) Is the access to this right highly conditioned to labor income?; iii) Is there decrease in the regional differences in access to those rights?; iv) Is quality or focus affected by interests mediating the access to this right? Nonetheless, we hope to further develop those questions in PhD Thesis, to be presented in 2019.