THE CONCEPTS OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN EDUCATION, POLITICAL THEORY, AND THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF THE BNCC

Abstract

This article analyzes the conceptual field of public policy and political theory, applying their analytical frameworks to examine the formulation process and implementation challenges of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) within the Brazilian educational landscape. Through a qualitative bibliographical and documentary research approach, the study reconstructs the epistemic genesis of Political Science, linking it to contemporary dynamics of governance and the public policy cycle. It then engages with educational policy analysis frameworks to problematize the limitations of instrumental rationality and linear approaches. The investigation demonstrates that the BNCC emerged through a hybrid trajectory: it featured initial moments of social consultation (bottom-up), but converged toward a predominantly centralized and technocratic model (top-down), enforced through financial and regulatory induction. It concludes that the actual success of the normative document at the frontline depends on the actions of street-level bureaucrats (teachers and administrators), who reframe and adapt the guidelines in response to contextual asymmetries and the socio-educational complexities of local school networks.