Edição de janeiro/fevereiro de 2026 da Revista Reconexão Periferias
In the article “Elections 2026: democracy is not just voting,” published in the January/February 2026 issue of the journal Reconexão Periferias, researcher Wagner Romão (Nepac/INCT Participa) discusses representative democracy as a system that goes beyond the simple act of voting, requiring active participation and continuous monitoring of elected officials.
Romão, who is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Unicamp, co-coordinator of the Research Center on Participation, Social Movements, and Collective Action (Nepac), a member of INCT Participa, and a city councilor for the Workers’ Party (PT) in Campinas, highlights that politicians make fundamental decisions that impact people’s daily lives, influencing everything from the cost of living to the guarantee of basic social rights. Therefore, it is essential for citizens to monitor parliamentary performance by observing bills and how public resources are allocated to priority areas.
Voting is defined as an expression of trust and representation, grounded in ideas, empathy, or the defense of territories. However, for democracy to be effective, representation must be a two-way street, in which voters actively monitor politicians’ actions, since decisions made in positions of power directly affect everyday life.
Collective organizations and social movements are encouraged to act as political observatories, ensuring that representation remains aligned with society’s interests. In this way, electoral choice becomes a process grounded in facts and evidence, using reliable data to combat misinformation and improve the quality of political decision-making.
With an outreach-oriented approach, the journal Reconexão Periferias aims to disseminate knowledge in simple and direct language. The publication is bimonthly and has wide circulation across more than 1,100 organizations and grassroots movements mapped by the Perseu Abramo Foundation (FPA).
INCT Participa, in partnership with the Perseu Abramo Foundation (FPA), invites its network of researchers to contribute to the Reconexão Periferias project by submitting articles on participation for publication in the journal. The theme of the March/April issue is “Women’s rights and Indigenous rights,” and submissions are open until March 30.
