Intergovernmental Lobbying in Brazil: Municipal Associations and Their Role as Interest Groups in the Brazilian Federation

This article on intergovernmental lobbying in Brazil analyzes the National Front of Mayors (FNP) and the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM) from 2001 to 2018. It uses research of documents, journalism, opinion surveys, and interviews and tests three hypotheses The first is whether the economic, political, and social context and federal policies induce local lobbying to seek regulatory and financial protection from the central government. The second is whether the number of associated cities influences the relationship with the leaders of the entities, which was partially confirmed. In the CNM and FNP, some topics generate agreement and others disagreement, while there is more internal unity in the CNM. The third hypothesis is that lobbying arenas are effective as long as they generate benefits, which was tested with the Federative Articulation Committee, in which the CNM and FNP participated, but which gradually lost status. The findings show the usefulness of the hypotheses for studying municipal lobbying.