VICISSITUDES OF LAW: from liberalism to the crisis of social democracy

In recent years judges, public prosecutors, and lawyers have become important actors in Brazil, crucially influencing the formation and outcomes of relevant political conflicts. They have also been instrumental in shaping institutional reforms that have affected political strategies of groups and economic policy choices. Legal topics have come under the spotlight of public debate, but little attention has been given to relations that link legal ideas to democratic politics and economic policy. This article briefly discusses the emergence of liberal democracy stemming from debates in political philosophy and explores aspects of the evolution of legal, economic, and political institutions and their interrelationships, highlighting their relevance for the characterization of the current crisis of Brazilian law and its ties to the crisis of social democracy.