Brazilian politics - Alfred P Montero

Brazilian Politics offers the most comprehensive and up-to-dateintroduction to the contemporary politics of South Americas largestdemocracy. Accessibly written for students, the book traces themajor trends in Brazils political development and analyses the mainchallenges facing the country today. Topics covered include thecrisis of the state, economic and political causes of inequalityand poverty, the failures of the electoral and party system, thewidening array of social movements and non-governmentalorganizations, and the heightened role of Brazil in the areas ofinternational trade, security and diplomacy.

Focusing on five key themes the strength of the state,representation, social equity, citizenship and politicalparticipation, and the role of the state in a global community ofstates Alfred Montero shows that Brazilian democracy has advancedgreatly in recent years. However, this process is a complex oneand, as the author cautions, Brazilian democracy still has a longway to go. But the high public expectations which accompanied theelection of Lula da Silva to the presidency in 2002 have givenBrazilian politics a renewed optimism and momentum. By building onthe achievements of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso(1994-2002), the book concludes that the Lula presidency holds outthe hope of changing Brazilian politics for the long haul.

Divided into 8 chapters, each containing a concise introductionoutlining the core issues for discussion and an annotated guide tofurther reading, this book offers the most complete primeravailable for anyone interested in the politics of contemporaryBrazil.

Alfred P. Montero, Associate Professor of Political Science, Carleton College