Resumo:
This study analyzed the trajectory of social protection in Brazil and the role of the Bolsa
Família Program in addressing poverty and income inequality. Based on a
historical-institutional approach, the formation of the Brazilian Welfare State was examined,
highlighting the historically residual position of social assistance and its consolidation after
the 1988 Constitution. Subsequently, the institutional design of the Bolsa Família Program
and its main targeting and management mechanisms were examined. Drawing on empirical
evidence from the literature, the impacts of the program on Gross Domestic Product, the labor
market, food security, and income inequality were evaluated. Finally, the experience of the
Emergency Aid during the COVID-19 pandemic was analyzed, emphasizing the importance
of cash transfer programs as central instruments of social protection and mitigation of
economic shocks in Brazil.
