Celso Furtado, the DASP, and the Debate on Federal Budget Policy during the Vargas Era (1930–1945)

Abstract

The article analyzes the role of the Administrative Department of Public Service (DASP) in shaping the federal budget during Brazil’s Vargas Era, with emphasis on Celso Furtado’s contributions. Drawing from the Revista do Serviço Público, published by DASP, it shows how the budget was redefined as a technical planning instrument, subordinated to the Executive and removed from legislative oversight. As a DASP official between 1943 and 1948, Furtado developed critical reflections on administrative rationalization, advocating for the budget as a coordinated work plan grounded in data. At the same time, he warned of the democratic risks posed by technocracy and the State’s alignment with corporate and military organizational models. The study highlights the tensions in Furtado’s thought between technique, politics, and democracy.