Who do public policy conferences serve? Institucional design and stakeholders

This article examines the relationship between the institutional design of conferences on public policies and the actors benefiting from the proposals approved therein. The final recommendations of the 1st Conference on Aquaculture and Fisheries, on Urban Policy, on Environment, on Sports and the 1st Conference on Policies for Women and Policies for the Promotion of Racial Equality, which benefited a/some specific segment(s) participating in it, reflected the degree of political inclusion of the conference, understood not only as an inclusion of voices, but also as a translation of the right to a voice in decision-making. To do so, each approved proposal was classified according to the segment(s) directly interested. The analysis showed that different designs produce different results. Representation and deliberative rules play a key role in determining who most influences the proposals approved in those arenas.