SCHOOL OF THE LEGISLATURE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION: A PLURALISTIC APPROACH IN THE MUNICIPAL CONTEXT

Abstract

Corruption is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that poses significant challenges to contemporary Public Administration, particularly in contexts where corrupt practices become systemic. Although Brazil has strengthened legal, punitive, and control mechanisms since the 1988 Constitution, corruption perception indicators reveal the limitations of strategies focused exclusively on repression. In this context, pluralist and systemic theoretical approaches emphasize the relevance of social participation, civic education, and cultural change in anti-corruption efforts. This article aims to analyze, from a pluralist theoretical perspective, the potential of civic education promoted by Municipal Legislative Schools as a complementary strategy to combat corruption at the local level. Methodologically, this is a theoretical essay based on a narrative review and critical analysis of national and international literature on corruption, civic education, and social accountability. The article argues that Legislative Schools can function as preventive institutional mechanisms by strengthening active citizenship, reducing social tolerance for corruption, and enhancing social control, particularly at the municipal level. It concludes that, while not a standalone solution, these institutions are part of a broader public integrity ecosystem.