INICIATIVA POPULAR NA CONSTITUIÇÃO FEDERAL DE 1988: UM ESTUDO SOBRE A EFICÁCIA NORMATIVA DO INSTITUTO DE PARTICIPAÇÃO POPULAR NO PAÍS

Abstract

The popular initiative is one of the mechanisms of semi-direct democracy provided for in the 1988 Federal Constitution, allowing citizens to propose bills without the need for parliamentary intermediaries. However, its effectiveness has been questioned due to bureaucratic and political barriers that hinder its practical application. This study analyzes this instrument in the Brazilian context, investigating its potential, limitations, and challenges. To this end, it examines its legal foundation, as well as the difficulties faced in collecting signatures and the legislative process of proposals submitted by the population. Furthermore, it assesses how these projects are incorporated into the legislative system and the impacts they undergo during their consideration in the National Congress. The study also compares the Brazilian experience with international models, identifying possible reforms that could make this mechanism more accessible and effective. The research indicates that, although the popular initiative is an essential tool for strengthening citizen participation, its implementation in Brazil still presents obstacles that compromise its effectiveness. The need to modernize this institution, whether through the digitization of the signature collection process or the creation of guarantees to ensure that proposals are duly analyzed by the Legislative Branch, is fundamental to securing its functionality as an expression of popular sovereignty. It is concluded that improving the popular initiative is essential to consolidating participatory democracy in Brazil, ensuring that society has effective means to influence the legislative process and contribute to the formulation of public policies.