Brazil, the largest country on the continent of South America, has historically been seen as the underdog socially, politically, and especially economically. Referred to as “the country of the future… and always will be” by many Brazilians and those who know the country best, the country has not always been a beacon of hope for Latin America as it is today (Weyland, pg 64). Brazil has many unique qualities when compared to many of its Latin American counterparts. While much of Latin America has wrestled with its Spanish colonial past, Brazil has been much more diplomatic and tolerant of its Portuguese colonial past. With such a vast amount of natural resources and territory, Brazil has had the advantage of being relatively self-sufficient when it needed to, but also being able to develop into one of the busiest and prosperous trading nations in Latin America. With frequent political transitions throughout its 500 year history, and experiencing periods of oppression and totalitarianism, Brazil has managed to overcome and move past the scars of its dictatorial past. This is in part due to its fortunate avoidance of ruthless and violent dictators in the style of Pinochet in Chile, Peron in Argentina, Castro in Cuba, and Fujimori in Peru, just to name a few. In this research paper, I will briefly describe an overview of Brazil’s present political circumstances while also touching on a few key factors that have aided its development, in addition to in-depth analyses of the country’s history through three main phases. I will also make philosophical connections to explain and put into proper perspective the events that have shaped Brazil into the country it is today.
A major aspect of Brazilian socioeconomic and political development, a...
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...ant violence in the streets of Brazil, fed by high levels of poverty as well as the drug trade. In spite of the amount of research that has gone into answering some of Brazil’s most burning questions, there are still questions that remain unanswered; answers that remain to be seen beyond the year 2013. What is the best way for Brazil to combat street violence? Government spending? Inflation? Debt? Entitlements? And how will the answers to these questions affect the political stability and democratic development of the country in the long term? As much progress as Brazil has made in recent decades, there are still just as many questions to be answered. But if you are a Brazilian, maybe it is just time to enjoy the world stage while you’re on it. Not every country gets this chance, but it is how the Brazilian people handle it that will determine the country’s future.
The two nation-states of Brazil and Germany differ in many ways: economically, politically and socially. Germany's powerful economy, rich and wealthy society, and efficient government have put the country as a leader in the international scene. On the other hand, Brazil is still yet to emerge as a true democracy and is faced with a lot of problems. This paper is focused on political differences that both of the states have.
De Lourdes Rollemberg Mollo, Maria and Alfredo Saad-Filho. "Neoliberal Economic Policies in Brazil (1994 – 2005): Cardoso, Lula and the Need for a Democratic Alternative." New Political Economy March 2006: 99-123.
In our class we learned a lot about the various military regimes that occurred throughout Latin America. However out of all the ones we discussed, Brazil’s dictatorship was never mentioned. I decided to write about it, but at the same time also compare it to the other military regimes in Latin America. Unlike most of the other governments, Brazil’s military one was not as brutal. It in no way measured up to the brutality of the Argentinian dictatorship or the ruthlessness of the dictatorship in Bolivia. However it was not an easy time either. Many Brazilians were exiled and many lost their lives because of this oppressive government.
After the slavery abolition in 1888 and throughout the 20th century, Africa figured relatively low in Brazil’s foreign policy agenda, which have mostly focused in the relations with the global powers such as the United States and European countries. This configuration started to change significantly in the early 2000s, when the improved macroeconomic situation of Brazil coincided with Africa’s economic revival. The turning point was, with no doubt, under former President Lula’s mandate (2003-2010).
Afro Brazilians have had to deal with centuries of oppression. During these times, Afro-Brazilians have had to deal with various methods of oppression. Many of these methods have had effects so profound, they are still affecting many Brazilians till this day. Political oppression is one of the oldest methods known to man, along with forceful police force. Authoritarian rule also played a major role in the shaping of the country. Furthermore, an inept justice system will fail those who need justice the most. These four key modes will be objectively examined, as well as the efficacy of each of these repressive strategies, and the impact that they have had or still have in the Afro-Brazilian communities.
As the Brazilian government gradually moved away from military rule and toward democracy in the early 1980s, the country increasingly became an important hub in the international trade of illicit drugs. By the middle of that decade, favela residents were no longer contending with eviction and relocation, but had only traded that threat for another, that of drug violence and violent police repression. By 1985, not only had Rio de Janeiro become the country?s most important export node for drugs from the Andean regions to the United States and Europe, it had developed a sizeable local consumer market for cocaine that had been virtually non-existent in prior years. This dynamic, however, has undergone significant changes since 2008. In November of that year, the government of Rio de Janeiro launched the Pacifying Police Units program (Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora ? UPP), a state-run operation to disarm the drug trade and reclaim the city?s favelas from the gangs that had controlled them since the mid
Globalisation has been crucial to the economic and social development of Brazil. In the late twentieth century Brazil face years of economic, political and social instability experiencing high inflation, high income inequality and rapidly growing poverty. However after a change of government in the 1990s and large structural changes in both the economic and social landscapes, the brazilian economy has been experiencing a growing middle class and reduced income gap. Since the start of the 21st century, brazil has benefitted from the move to a more global economy.
In the past years, Brazil has celebrated itself as a great economic performer with emerging markets and increasing influence on the international stage. However, in 2013, Brazil was paralyzed by huge demonstrations expressing deep discontent with their governments’ performance. In this paper, I look at the sudden onset of the protest and the absence of it in the previous years. I will argue that despite these protests, the government of Brazil maintains a hegemonic culture that propagates its own values and practices. Brazil experiences the process of modernization from the above, which does not quite reflect the demands of the lower class. Using Brazil as an example, I will expand on how the political leadership establishes and maintains its control.
Pinheiro P. S., 2002, The Paradox of Democracy in Brazil vol. III, issue 1, University of Sao Paulo
“A formal public commitment to legal racial equality, for example, had been the price of mass support for Latin American’s independence movements. In the generation following independence, the various mixed-race classifications typical of the caste system were optimistically banished from census forms and parish record keeping.” This was meant to make all slaves citizens, equal to all other citizens. Slavery receded in Latin America, except in non-republican Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. However, Brazil’s pursuit of independence was the least violent and provoked the least amount of change. The case of Brazil suggests that retention of colonial institutions such as monarchies lent to stability. “Brazil had retained a European dynasty; a nobility of dukes, counts, and barons sporting coats of arms; a tight relationship between church and state; and a full commitment to the institution of chattel slavery, in which some people worked others to death.”
In 1822, Brazil became a nation independent from Portugal. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil has overcome more than half a century of military government to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development. With an abundance of natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil became Latin America's leading economic power by the 1970’s.
2. Burns, Bradford E. . A History of Brazil: Second Edition. New York: Cornell University Press, 1980.
In the current economic times the development and growth of any economy has come to a near stop or at least to a drastic slow down. The face of the global economic environment has changed and many new countries are starting to change the way their country and the rest of the world does business. One such nation is Brazil, who has turned around their own economic troubles and is becoming one of the fastest growing economies in the world (World Factbook). Brazil has started developing its economy and using the opportunity to achieve a level of respect in the world.
Brazil’s economic history reflects periods of economic prosperity followed periods of stagnation. The biggest boom was the coffee boom that began in the 19th century. At the turn of the century, Brazil was the supplier of 75% of the global coffee supply accounting for 10% of their GDP (Lowman, 2014). While coffee has served as an important factor of Brazil’s economic success, the fact that their economy was dependent on commodity exports was a major vulnerability in the past. In the 80’s the Brazilian government was forced to reschedule their debt and in the 90’s the country experienced hyperinflation. However with the implementation of the
They, however, saw the cause of the “broken machine” from a different view compared to those in Brasilia. They see the “neoliberal present” as the causation for the hardships and corruption that exists in Northeast Brazil (Ansell, 98). These agents, although having different perspectives, played into the direction of the high-level officials. By challenging the traditional patronage systems that existed and pursued events that relied heavily on the townspeople’s participation, they continued the agenda of those in Brasilia without much consideration to the local