Brazil: the Harder they Fall
During the 2000s, Brazil's economy took off, with growth driven primarily by strong Chinese demand for commodities. Within a decade, the Brazilian middle class increased from 30% to 50% of the population.
Political leaders experienced exceptional popularity ratings. In 2013, the tide turned. The growth rate has slowed and the political class is mired in corruption scandals. Yet, a rebound is possible in Brazil.
OUTLINE OF THE ARTICLE
- The end of the commodities boom
* The rise
* And the fall
- The "new middle class"
* Corruption
* Anti-political sentiment
* Submerging Brazil?
Joao Augusto de Castro Neves, PhD in economics from the University of Sao Paulo and a graduate degree in International Relations from the Sorbonne, is director of the Eurasia Group office in Brazil.
Bruno Koltai Reis, PhD in political science from the University of Sao Paulo, is director of the Latin America department of Eurasia Group.
Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 81, No. 3, Autumn 2016.
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Brazil: the Harder they Fall
