A variety of government tools or instruments for implementation of public policy coexist at present in the Brazilian federal government, ranging from direct management by government organs to more indirect ones such as economic incentives, grants, and concessions of various sorts. In this essay, we reflect on the use of government instruments in the implementation process and propose a research agenda on the subject for Brazil. This reflection is justified in view of the interest in establishing a solid technical basis for the perennial, and frequently ideological debate about the relative superiority of direct management or management by means of more indirect instruments. Government instrument is defined as being an identifiable method for structuring collective action for dealing with a public problem. After an overview of pertinent theory with respect to public policy implementation and government instruments, a discussion is presented about possible processes for instrument choice and of the variety of existing typologies. The need for further studies, particularly in the Brazilian context, is shown; and a research agenda is recommended.
government instruments; policy instruments; tools of government; public policy implementation
