O discurso sobre a reforma administrativa em Marcelo Caetano: De suporte a fator de legitimação do Estado Novo

This article analyzes the presence of public administration reform in Marcelo Caetano's speech, both before and after the April Revolution. By studying the evolution of this speech, the article intends to identify its originality and objectives, as well as the links with other subjects valued by the author. It reveals the strong relationship between the subject and Caetano's professional, political, and academic trajectories. It also presents the priority given to the economic and social conditions of the Civil Servants, which reveals a link between administrative reform and the growth of the Welfare State. Finally, it is argued that, before 1974, the public administration reform process was used as an instrument to legitimate the regime, while it was being presented as an essential element for its survival. Likewise, in the democratic period, it would be used by Caetano as an evidence of the administrative, economic, and social improvements achieved by his government.