Controles democráticos, participação e clientelismo: as dificultades da representação da sociedade civil no conselho de Assistência Social

Este artigo busca analisar a questao das dificuldades da representacao da sociedade civil no Conselho Municipal de Assistencia social (CMAS) de Niteroi a partir de quatro elementos: natureza, composicao, qualificacao da representacao e influencia do governo nos processos decisorios. Aborda as tensoes politicas presentes nesse espaco publico para, assim, analisar os projetos politicos em disputa, os processos de decisao, bem como as praticas politicas existentes entre as entidades socioassistenciais presentes nos espacos dos conselhos pela via da representacao da sociedade civil. Parte do pressuposto de que as praticas politicas “antidemocraticas predatorias” existentes influenciam os processos decisorios nos estudos sobre democracia participativa, particularmente nos espacos dos conselhos e que sao fundamentais para entender os obstaculos postos no fortalecimento das praticas participativas no contexto da cultura politica brasileira nos diferentes governos locais. Palavras-chave: Representacao, assistencia social, controle democratico. DEMOCRATIC CONTROL, CLIENTELISM AND PARTICIPATION: the difficulties of civil society representation in the council of social service Abstract: This article seeks to examine the issue of the difficulties of civil society representation in the Municipal Council of Social Service (CMAS) in Niteroi from four elements: nature, composition, qualifications of representation and influence government decision-making processes. It approaches the political tensions in this public space, in order to analyze the political projects in the dispute, as well as the decision-making policies and practices between the partner agencies present in the areas of health care councils by means of representation of civil society. It starts from the assumption that "undemocratic" "predatory" political practices influence the decision-making processes in the studies on participative democracy, particularly in the Councils’ areas which are fundamental to understand the obstacles put in the strengthening of participatory practices in the context of Brazilian politic culture in the various local governments. Key words: Representation, social aid, democratic control.