Análise socioeconômica sobre a formação dos municípios do estado do Ceará a partir da descentralização por competência constitucional

Abstract

The decentralized model of public administration has been increasingly widespread in Brazil, with 1988 serving as a key milestone, the year in which the Federal Constitution was enacted, granting all entities of the federation the responsibility to address their respective demands, either individually or in cooperation with one another. This study aimed to examine how this process impacted the creation of new municipalities in the state of Ceará, considering the years between 1983 (the beginning of political reopening) and 1992 (the last year new municipalities were established in the state). It assessed both the advantages of creating new municipalities and the challenges they face in maintaining sound socioeconomic development and effectively meeting local demands. This research is qualitative and exploratory in nature, employing bibliographic and documentary analyses, including books, articles, and academic papers, as well as data from municipal and federal transparency websites. Based on the sample defined for this study, fiscal and social analyses were conducted in ten municipalities, focusing on certain constitutional responsibilities to assess their performance in fulfilling essential public policy commitments. The findings indicate that municipal autonomy and administrative decentralization are beneficial to local development, enabling municipalities to make decisions on critical matters. However, this process has also led to the emergence of municipalities that, to this day, struggle to be self-sufficient, relying on external financial and technical assistance and being significantly affected by social inequality.