Dynamics Of Federalism And Impacts On State Capacity: A Scientometric Analysis

Background: With the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution, the promotion of municipal state capacities became a central theme associated with federalism. There has been an increase in scientific production in recent decades regarding the federative perspective and its impacts on municipal state capacities in Brazil. The objective of this study was to investigate and analyze the intellectual structure of studies that relate state capacity and federalism, identifying their constitutive elements and the influences they exert on the understanding of the topic during the period from 1999 to 2023. Materials and Methods: The study has a descriptive and exploratory nature with a quantitative-qualitative approach. For data processing, the scientometric technique was used with the aid of the VOSviewer software. The search was conducted on March 27, 2023, retrieving 279 articles through title, abstract, and keyword searches in the Web of Science. Filters were applied to refine the search, selecting “Article” and “Open Access,” resulting in 76 articles. After an initial screening, a final sample of 72 articles was established. Results: The peak of publications and citations occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a growing concern with understanding how federalism can affect governments' capacity to address health issues and the importance of the state's role in this context. Conclusion: Its importance stands out in the decentralization of responsibilities, the promotion of state capacity, and the response to institutional crises. This concern is not limited to Brazil, the United States, and China; it extends to other countries, highlighting that it is a global issue of great relevance.