The three purposes of this paper are: 1) To demonstrate the resurgence of pragmatism as method of public-policy implementation for the achievement of structural reforms in Brazil. The contradictions between social democracy and liberalism as the inspiring model for those reforms suggest the necessity to find a new explanation for the nature of those reforms. On the other hand the emerging model of the Third Way or Progressive Governance as an opposing paradigm to the Washington Consensus, reveals that Brazil is not following the old ideological constraints to implement the structural changes. President Fernando Henrique has been acting very pragmatically toward reform implementation, not only because of his neo-maquiavelism, but also by his sense of opportunity. 2) To raise the challenging question of defining a proper role for the state in Brazil after the exhaustion of the Vargas-era institutions and the feared new wave economic neo-liberalism. How much of the "state" and how much of the "market" can be introduced in this new shape of the state. 3) To what extent does the renewal of pragmatism as a public policy implementation method demonstrate some change in the Brazilian political culture.

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