Author:

SAMI STORCH

Abstract:

This dissertation intends to analyze the possibility of the non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) to exert, through the class actions in Justice, the social control on governmental bodies and its private agents, renders of public services. For this, one covers the origins of
the civic associations in Brazil and, more specifically, of the consumers’ movement, relating its fights and conquests with the historical process of democracy evolution. The empirical research covers the performance of a known consumers’ association (Idec – Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defense) and its activities while representing the collective interests of the consumers of public services. From the analysis of the class actions moved by this entity against Anatel – the Telecommunications National Agency and its private concessionaires, objectifying the social control on the rendering of telecommunications public services, we search for exploring the potentials of this performance and for understanding the factors that may contribute or prejudice its effectiveness.