Beatriz Silva da Costa

I'm

About

Hi! Glad to see you here. My name is Beatriz. I am a multiracial Brazilian woman who likes people, animals, traveling, languages, writing, photography, cultures, cyclying, coffee, and forró (the order is interchangable). This is my professional website where I share my work and others interests of mine. Coming from the Amazon region of Brazil, an area that appears lawless and ignored by the government, I did not understand politics at all. “It is what it is, Bia” was the phrase that I heard the most while growing up. Such an answer never satisfied me and I found it crucial to understand the role that politics plays in society. This motivated me to pursue a higher education in social sciences. And we've come a long way.

Currently, I am a Political Science PhD candidate at the University of Virginia, where I pursue a major in Comparative Politics and a minor in Political Methodology. Prior to joining UVA, I attended the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil), where I pursued a B.A. in Social Sciences and a M.A. Political Science. In the next sections, you can find more information about what I have been working on over the last couple years. Welcome!

Research

I study Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. I am interested (but not limited to) in politicalComparative Politics; Latin American Politics; Bureaucracy; Governance; Integrity; Political Methodology.For more details, you can access my curriculum vitae here.

PEX - Executives, Presidents and Cabinet Politics

Research on presidents and executive politics, development and functioning of Presidencies, and cabinet’s politics are explored in this research area. This agenda includes studies on Brazilian politics and studies in comparative perspective, intra and cross-region.

Center for Legislative Studies

The Center for Legislative Studies is dedicated to research on the Legislative Power, its interactions with the Executive, the Judiciary and with parties, interest groups and citizens. It develops comparative studies on legislatures at subnational, national and international levels.

Governmental Control, Prevention and Fight against Corruption

An initiative from the Comptroller General of the Union and the Ministry of Economy of Brazil, this program aims to promote, through dialogue between academia and the public sector, the qualified production of articles on theoretical and empirical problems related to the improvement of public institutions, especially focused on planning, execution and control in the implementation of public policies, seeking to value the aspects of result, efficiency, legitimacy and legality.

Working Paper

Do firms that donate more to political campaigns (high donors) are awarded more federal contracts than firms that donate less (low donors)? This is the research question this proposal seeks to answer to test the hypothesis that campaign contributions grant preferential treatment in the awarding of procurement contracts. Using data on Brazilian government tenders and firm donors, I examine if a ban on firm contributions to political campaigns affects the awarding of procurement contracts to companies that donated to political campaigns. My period of analysis is from 2006 until 2018. I employ a difference- in-differences estimation and distinguish between high donor firms (treatment group) and low donor firms (control group). This paper intends to contribute to the debate on effects of political donations by exploiting the exogenous reform-induced variation in the presence of corporate donations.

Publications

Book Chapters

Silva da Costa, Beatriz. 2023. “Global Trends: Erosion of Democracy and New Forms of Corruption.” Transparency International.

The book "Democracia e Políticas Públicas Anticorrupção" is the result of a collaboration between Transparency International - Brazil and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS). It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the complex intersection between preserving democracy and combating corruption in Brazil.

In the first chapter of the book, I explore global trends that influence both democracy and the fight against corruption. My goal is to offer a perspective on the international landscape that shapes our ongoing efforts in these areas.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Silva da Costa, Beatriz; Silame, Thiago. 2022. “CGU’s Institutional Designs between 2001 and 2016.” E-Legis.

This paper was firstly presented at the Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Brazilian Political System and at the XI Journey of Research and Extension of the Chamber of Deputies in 2021.

This article is part of the field of political control studies in the context of coalition presidentialism and the delegation of powers within the Federal intra-executive scope in Brazil. Guided by the question: “What were the CGU’s administrative designs between 2001 and 2016?”, The article intends to explore the changes in the administrative designs of the agency in order to verify possible interferences in the degree of discretion and autonomy. Using the analytical model of agency design proposed by Lewis (2013), the main findings of the article point to the strengthening of the CGU in the two mandates of FHC (PSDB) and in the mandates of PT and Lula Dilma, both PT and a possible weakening of the organ during the government of Michel Temer (PMDB). However, the findings do not allow definitive conclusions in this regard.

Silva Costa, Beatriz. 2019. “System of Internal Control of the Federal Executive Power: Change and Political Agents in the Constituent National Assembly of 1987.” Journal of the General Comptroller of the Union.

As a very popular topic in the Public Administration literature, many studies have been published about the internal control, but mostly from a perspective of public management or accounting. The trajectory of this phenomenon dates to the beginning of the twentieth century and enters the 21st century. However, the 1987 National Constituent Assembly marked the beginning of the reformulation of the internal control system of the Federal Executive Power in Brazil in a democratic context. This article analyzes what were the institutional changes in the internal control system of the Brazilian Federal Executive between the Constitution of 1967 and 1988. Using the theory of institutional changes, this article intends to contribute to the literature of Social Sciences and Political Science on the types of changes that occurred, the types of political agents involved in such changes, as well as interpret the influence of the political context at the time on the results promulgated with the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988.

Master Thesis

Silva da Costa, Beatriz. 2020. “Internal Control of the Federal Executive Power:a case study of the Comptroller General of the Union (2001 - 2017).” Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

How did the institutional construction of the Brazilian Office of the Comptroller General take place in the context of Brazilian coalition presidentialism? This case study seeks to answer this question by analyzing the institutional designs of the CGU with initiatives from the Executive Power that have been processed in the legislative arena. This work is part of a research agenda aimed at understanding the internal dynamics of the Executive Branch in the light of three main theories: principal-agent, legislative review and design of agencies. According to the political control literature, the Executive is expected to take action to design the CGU as an institutional mechanism for intra-executive control of the coalition. On the other hand, the legislature and/or coalition parties are expected to act to moderate/reduce/neutralize the use of this instrument to limit the performance of parties in the Executive. In order to analyze the executive-legislative relationship, we identified the strategies adopted by the Executive in the Legislative and the latter's reactions to such proposals. The results of this work indicate that the Legislature was, in the main, favorable to the initiatives of the Executive Power with regard to the proposals for the administrative design of the CGU. Although the Legislative carried out minor interventions within the scope of the Executive's proposals, all the opinions that evaluated the Provisional Presidential Decree were favorable. The results also point out that the heterogeneity of the coalition is not a factor that drives many changes in the CGU that aim at greater intra-executive control. Without much significant variation in administrative design, CGU became institutionalized during the 18 years analyzed and maintained two agency standards.

Teaching

Instructor

PLCP 2500: Corruption and Democracy

Summer 2024

University of Virginia

In this course, we embark on a critical journey to understand the complex and often opaque relationship between corruption and democratic governance. As we navigate the intricacies of defining, measuring, and analyzing corruption, we uncover its diverse impacts on various aspects of society, including gender equality, economic growth, and public goods. By examining case studies, theoretical frameworks, and contemporary issues, the course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of how corruption undermines democratic institutions and explores ways to combat it.

Teaching Assistant

PLCP 1010: Introduction to Comparative Politics

Fall 2024

University of Virginia

This course offers an introduction to Comparative Politics, a discipline that employs evidence and analytical tools to explore important causal questions in global politics. Comparative Politics centers on theories and methodologies that help us test hypotheses and understand the underlying causal dynamics in political systems worldwide. While descriptive details can be memorized, this course emphasizes the importance of disciplined thinking, guided by theories and methods, to truly grasp these causal relationships.

PLCP 2420: Politics of Modernity

Spring 2024

University of Virginia

This course is designed to examine how the rise of modern society has shaped contemporary politics. We will conduct this investigation through the study of three classic theorists: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. We will also have a brief introduction to the work of Michel Foucault and take a brief look at how non-Western observers such as Sayyid Qutb and Mohandas K. Gandhi viewed the rise of modernity.

PLCP 3012: The Politics of Developing Areas

Spring 2023

University of Virginia

A survey of government and politics in the “Global South.” Particular attention will be paid to the rule of political elites and their sources of power. We will also examine processes of democratization and national integration, as well as patterns of economic development, foreign penetration, and social inequalities in the context of “globalization.”

PLCP 3120: Politics and Political Economy of the Welfare State

Fall 2022, Fall 2023

University of Virginia

This class investigates the political economy of the welfare state in the rich OECD countries, focusing especially on the US, Germany and Sweden/Nordics.The course presents a variety of perspectives – institutional, normative, game theoretic, historical.

Representation, Corruption, and Democracy

Fall 2017

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

The course analyzed theories of corruption and their historical developments in the fields of politics, culture and economics. In a second moment, we explore corruption in democratic regimes and how practices that were previously allowed were adapted or excluded in the new political system. Finally, the course sought to discuss the interactions between corruption and political representation.

Photography

Side note: I am also a photographer. These are some photographies that I have taken across this planet.

Colheita

Colheita

Respiro

Respiro

Atravessar

Atravessar

Xaninha

Xaninha

Marajó

Marajó

Testimonials

Student Testimonial

Fall 2022

Bea is everything a TA should be. I've never had a more positive experience in a TA section before. She truly listens and truly cares. She is so accommodating and makes sure everyone is heard, understood, and respected.

Student Testimonial

Fall 2022

I'm not sure I have ever had a discussion section that has been so helpful as this one has. The topics we learned about in class would often be complex and confusing for me, but I always felt like she clarified everything for us in a very organized way.

Student Testimonial

Fall 2022

Bea did a great job explaining the lectures and it was always engaging and I really appreciated her going over the reading more in– depth.

Student Testimonial

Fall 2022

I had a great experience. I thought the instructor went out of their way to clarify what needed to be done before classes and for assignments, and the discussion sections were fun to attend.

Student Testimonial

Fall 2022

The environment created was very friendly, and I felt comfortable expressing what I knew on the class subject matter, without fear of belittlement of I was incorrect. There was no pressure to conform in anyway, and I thoughts the instructor did an excellent of avoiding setting any preconditioned restrictions or expectations for how students should act or regulate themselves during class.

Contact

Location:

Gibson Hall 196, 1540 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22903

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