Abstract
This article discusses the importance of social protection systems (SPS) as tools to fight poverty and social exclusion. After a brief review of the history of these systems worldwide, the article presents the evolution of SPS in Brazil, highlighting the fact that the system has always been incomplete, particularly after the economic crisis of the 1980s and the neoliberal ideology guiding the policies during the 1990s. The study shows that the policies recently approved in President Michel Temer’s government represent a setback regarding the improvements in social protection in the country and the future of the nation.
Keywords:
Brazil; Poverty; Social protection system