Brazil’s State & Market (Part II)

The structural crisis of Brazilian capitalism: economic policies, political economy and democracy (2013-2019)

This presentation discusses the structural crisis of Brazilian capitalism combining two different approaches to the topic. First, we develop a long-term analysis of the Brazilian democracy in order to understand how the ‘New Republic’ faded, being replaced by a new form of authoritarian domination compatible with the Brazilian plutocratic tradition. The current context is that of an upturn in global capitalism where liberal democracy seems to be at stake whereas neoliberalism is at its ultimate development. The victory of Bolsonaro in a controversial election is the synthesis of this process of structural crisis of capital. Second, we analyse the behaviour of economic policies in Brazil from 2013 to 2019 through the lens of political economy. A critical assessment of economic policies implemented by Dilma, Temer and Bolsonaro is developed to show that austerity, a conservatism monetary policy and a set of structural reforms fully aligned the Brazilian economy with neoliberal precepts that intensifies labour exploitation. It is argued that, despite the political rupture with the legislative coup in 2015 that brought Temer to power, there is no rupture in the realm of economic policy. Instead, one can argue that there is a continuity in the formulation and implementation of neoliberal social and economic policies. Moreover, the dismantling of a more pervasive State by Bolsonaro’s administration is just the last step towards the settlement of a new form of economic accumulation and the reset of autocratic power relations within Brazilian capitalism.

Recommended Bibliography:
Martins, Norberto & León, Jaime (2018). Brazil’s history is repeating it self: democracy at stake.
https://laperspectives.blogspot.com/2018/10/political-report-1379-brazils-history.html?m=0

[Portugues}
León, Jaime.(2019) RESISTÊNCIA ÀS MUDANÇAS SOCIAIS: UMA VISÃO CRÍTICA DA DEMOCRACIA BRASILEIRA. Phd Thesis. Available in https://www.academia.edu/38765594/RESIST%C3%8ANCIA_%C3%80S_MUDAN%C3%87AS_SOCIAIS_UMA_VIS%C3%83O_CR%C3%8DTICA_DA_DEMOCRACIA_BRASILEIRA
Martins, Norberto (2015). Ensaio sobre a “nova” travessia (ou: O programa de ajuste econômico do segundo governo Dilma: uma nova investida neoliberal?) Available in http://www.ie.ufrj.br/images/pesquisa/publicacoes/discussao/2015/TD_IE_021_2015_MARTINS-v.fin.pdf