Autarchies are an integral part of indirect public administration

Public administration in Brazil is divided between direct and indirect. In the sphere of federal executive power, the first is composed of the Presidency of the Republic, ministries and the special secretariats. Indirect administration is composed of organs with their own legal identity but that carry out the functions of the State in a decentralized manner in all spheres – federal, state, district and municipal.

Public foundations, executive agencies and regulators are some examples of these autarchies – organs that are an integral part of indirect public administration.

They are created through a law which permits them to execute a specific task. They can be associated with the Presidency of the Republic or the ministries. They have their own assets and revenues but are subject to supervision by the State.

These organizations are staffed by public servants and as with the organs of direct administration, the civil servants must be approved through public examinations – although the Constitution does permit commissioned positions in leadership, management and advisory positions.

They function in various areas. Some examples of federal government autarchies are the Central Bank (BC), regulatory agencies, the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais – National Institute for Educational Studies (Inep) and organs like the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica - Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade), the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) as well as the federal universities.

Sources (content in Portuguese):
Law n. 8.112
Federal Constitution (article 37)