The Brazilian State

"This timely volume explores how Brazil avoided the extremes of left and right to become a pragmatic model of democratic development. Brazil's success in combining macroeconomic stability with economic growth and expanded social programs is an inspiration to a world that is rejecting extremist nostrums and authoritarian excuses. These well researched essays show how the Brazilians did it, and what remains to be done, both in Brazil and throughout the developing world." -Ted Goertzel, Rutgers University "The Brazilian State: Debate and Agenda is an up-to-date analysis of the state in the "new developmentalism" of Brazil. It provides us with excellent research on the political, social, economic, and cultural evolution of Brazil, especially since 2005. This highly readable book is well edited by noted authors Font and Randall and will serve as a classroom text and also will be suitable for a general audience. To understand Brazil today and to speculate about its future, this book is essential." -Kathleen Waldron, President of William Paterson University "Maucio Font and Laura Randall's The Brazilian State: Debate and Agenda provides a fascinating multi-leveled examination of Brazilian political institutions and policies. Bringing together leading Brazilian and North American scholars in this field, the book provides a depth of insights rarely found in other English-language texts on the state and policymaking in Latin America's largest country. This volume makes important contributions to the debate on political institutions in Brazil and to issues in Latin America more generally." -Desmond Arias, John Jay College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York

The Brazilian State: Debate and Agenda examines the centralizing legacies of the Vargas Era (1930-1945) through the Lula Government. The volume opens with a discussion of Brazil's experience with statism since the Vargas Era and continues with a study of liberalizing reforms since the early 1990s, and trends since 2006.The Brazilian State: Debate and Agenda is part of the Bildner Western Hemisphere Studies Series. This book is a collection of 16 essays from the conference “The Brazilian State: Paths and Prospects of Dirigisme and Liberalization” held at The Graduate Center, City University of New York in November 2009. The Brazilian State explores the changing roles, relations with society, and overall impact of the contemporary Brazilian State, including, the newly elected Dilma Rousseff. Collectively, the papers explore state reform, institutional development, policy effectiveness, and economic dynamics since the 1930s.