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Cardoso Seizes a Window of Opportunity (1993–2002)

Lee J. Alston, Marcus André Melo, Bernardo Mueller, and Carlos Pereira

in Brazil in Transition: Beliefs, Leadership, and Institutional Change

This chapter examines Cardoso's presidency, arguing that his leadership was not solely top-down; rather, the Cardoso team coordinated other organizations and citizens to buy into the Plano Real. It ... More

This chapter examines Cardoso's presidency, arguing that his leadership was not solely top-down; rather, the Cardoso team coordinated other organizations and citizens to buy into the Plano Real. It argues that, first, Brazil entered into a virtuous path toward a critical transition, which was not inevitable. Second, to quell inflation entailed up-front costs and coordination problems that required leadership, which the Brazilians resolved by maintaining that social inclusion would still be given priority as long as it was fiscally sound. Third, new economic and political actors developed a stake in the reform process and formed a constituency that did not exist before: firms redeployed their assets in new profitable ways (as opposed to rent seeking) and politicians increasingly voted for public goods.Less

Policy Type and Judicial Contestation

in Judging Policy: Courts and Policy Reform in Democratic Brazil

This chapter presents case studies of eight key policy debates in Brazil undertaken during the term of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso from 1995 to 2002 that indicate the frequent recourse to the ... More

This chapter presents case studies of eight key policy debates in Brazil undertaken during the term of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso from 1995 to 2002 that indicate the frequent recourse to the federal courts during a period of intense reform. The findings provide important insights into the influence of the federal court system on policy contestation and policy outcomes in the broader political system, and also illustrate how the combination of policy salience and the overall political environment guide the use of courts by policy opponents.Less

Brazil

Renato G. Flores

in International Development: Ideas, Experience, and Prospects

Brazil offers an interesting case study of economic growth which combines both textbook and unorthodox policies. Eighty years of Brazilian history are described in three periods: the first beginning ... More

Brazil offers an interesting case study of economic growth which combines both textbook and unorthodox policies. Eighty years of Brazilian history are described in three periods: the first beginning in 1930 with Getúlio Vargas, the second in 1964 with the military coup, and the third in 1985 with the return to civilian rule. Specific attention is paid to the administrations of Collor–Itamar and the Cardoso–Lula, as both periods represented substantial shifts in government priorities. What emerges from this historical analysis is not so much a narrative of development, but a succession of measures intended to solve specific short-term problems, such as: increasing exports, improving the balance of trade, controlling public debt, fighting inflation, enhancing industrial productivity, and reducing poverty and inequality. More than a model of development, the Brazilian experience highlights the importance of government policy, and of the divides between different social classes and regions.Less

A Conceptual Dynamic for Understanding Development

Lee J. Alston, Marcus André Melo, Bernardo Mueller, and Carlos Pereira

in Brazil in Transition: Beliefs, Leadership, and Institutional Change

This chapter lays out a brief conceptual dynamic to interpret the past fifty years in Brazil. Its framework rests on tying together the key concepts of windows of opportunity, beliefs, dominant ... More

This chapter lays out a brief conceptual dynamic to interpret the past fifty years in Brazil. Its framework rests on tying together the key concepts of windows of opportunity, beliefs, dominant network, leadership, institutions, and outcomes. The chapter argues that it is the dynamics of the concepts that led to institutional change in Brazil and in turn a new trajectory. It then discusses the important dominant networks in power, along with their beliefs, in four periods: 1964–1984 (the military years); 1985–1993 (the early years back to democracy); 1993–2002 (Fernando Henrique Cardoso's presidency); and 2002–2014 (the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff years).Less