Did they even try? Brazilian government policy measures in the first 12 weeks of the pandemic

This article draws from recently developed frameworks for the analysis of complex, boundary-spanning policy problems to consider the response of the Brazilian government in the initial stages of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The timeframe selected for analysis covers the first 12 weeks after the first confirmed case in the country. Analysis is focused on government coordination, including major policy measures such as a constitutional amendment and provisional presidential decrees, and on the role of discourses in policymaking. Findings indicate that the Brazilian government failed to respond properly to the pandemic and did not steer public action toward collectively accepted goals. Further consideration raises the question as to whether the government tried to halt the spread of the virus;an analysis of the ideology embraced by the national-populist political coalition suggests that the dehumanization of political enemies is a strategic alternative. Conclusions argue that the dehumanization of the other is a viable strategy for the government and suggest that the pandemic crisis is part of a continuum of crises that calls for a reframing of societal choices and political-economical design in Brazil and elsewhere.