Explaining the role of violence in the Brazilian state

The Brazilian state in the 21st century is at the same time a coercive state, employing a large degree of lethal violence against its own citizens; a national developmental state, coordinating the commanding heights of the economy in the service of domestic industry and export promotion; a constitutional state, with a formal commitment to equality of citizenship and the rule of law; and a social democratic state that guarantees a minimum income to the most disadvantaged in society.