The social democracy and the welfare state: The construction of a social democrat model in Brazil

Abstract

The Social Democracy (SD) has a history of success in several European countries, especially in the period after the Second World War. We present here, beyond the resumption of the debate between social democracy and democratic socialism, a summary of theories and ideas that guided the political ideology of the SD and the thesis, construction, successes and crises which motivated the State of Social Welfare (welfare state) in several countries. It will examine the issues conserning the Third Way as a thread to social democratic ideas and the implementation of SD in Brazil, as well as the political stage of Brazil during Fernando Henrique Cardoso´s mandate, which was inherited by the PT of Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva. In the end, it will cover the considerations necessary for the viability of building a social democratic model in the country.