Brazil In The Global Economy Alex Byom & Jake Roecker

Brazil’s Early History: (1415-1870) Authoritarianism: (1937-1945) President Vargas enacts the authoritarian “Estado Novo” or “New State.” Dictatorship: (1964-1985) Brazil’s military issues stabilizing dictatorship notoriously supported by the U.S., seeking to prevent communism in Latin America. Modern Democratic Socialism (1985-2018) Brasilia: The symbol of the “country of the future” --- which Brazil, sadly, may always be, according to its own people. The Age of Discovery: (1415-1532) Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil on his way to India. The Colonial Period: ( 1532-1822) Portuguese retained tight control from Sao Vicente. African slave enterprise used for sugar, coffee, rubber, and mining production. Independent monarchy (1822-1889): “Independence or death,” cried out Dom Pedro. Abolition and the early “Republic:” (1888- 1937) 1888, Princess Isabel enacts abolition after 350 years of slavery, also the year Brazil gained independence.

The Global Economy: American Relations (1870- 1930’s) Production of coffee was a key factor in the Brazilian economy even more than sugar and gold. In 1870, Brazil's trade with America was valued at about 31 million dollars and $29 million from all of the other South American countries combined. In 1885, Brazil was producing more than half of the world's supply of coffee. In 1888, slavery was abolished In 1896, the production of coffee started to surpass consumption and prices began to fall in Brazil. Brazil then stored their coffee instead of selling all of it. Despite the Great Depression in the United States and the related worldwide economic downturn during the 1930s, Brazilian industry rose at 10%, on average. During that decade, Brazilian GDP increased at around 6% In 1939, Brazil employed 9.5% of the labor force in the manufacturing sector.

Becoming a BRIC Nation: (1968-1973) Stabilizing military dictatorship (1964-1985), supported by the U.S. and seeking to prevent communism in Latin America. President’s Artur da Costa e Silva and Emílio Médiici proposed economic policies that resulted in rapid growth. These policies included significant gov. funding, domestic production of consumer goods (automobiles), and the availability of foreign capital to finance economic expansion. Imports grew considerably faster, rapidly increasing trade. As a result, imports of capital goods increased from 29.0% to 42.2%. The total value of imports rose from $1.3 billion to $4.4 billion (US$).

Economic Collapse: (1981-1993) The 1980s became known as “The Lost Decade." Between 1981 and 1992, the GDP barely increased at an average annual rate of 2.9%, meanwhile, per capita income declined 6%. Gross investment fell from 21% to 16%, in part as a result of the crisis. The decline reflected growing uncertainties regarding the future of the economy. There was hope moving into the 90’s, the GDP began to slightly increase after dropping 80%. A series of corruption began in 1992, when President Pedro Collor de Mello was impeached for enrichment, making Brazil first Latin American country to have a popularly elected president impeached for corruption.

More Corruption & Economic Stagnation: (1993-2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu2rmjDDJ2E Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 2 terms from 2005-2011 Solidified Brazil’s superpower status by exporting oil, corn, soybeans, and Iron Ore, but corruption continued to plague the country . Dilma Rousseff became first Woman President elected in 2010. Continued economic decline from 2010 to 2016. In 2015, Dilma Rousseff’s Brazilian economy was disastrous, the worst it had been in a quarter century. Petrobras, a state run oil company, contributed to more corruption when Rousseff used profits and kickbacks to try and right economic woes and survive 2014 election.

Brazil Today: (2015-2018) August 31st, 2016, Dilma Rousseff was impeached and was charged with criminal administrative misconduct and disregard for the federal budget. Current President: Michel Temer, 75-year-old law professor and Vice President became acting President after Senate voted to launch impeachment trial against Rousseff. Petrobras, and political and economic corruption still looming over the nation. Brazil is still the 9th largest economy in the world Only Latin American country that speaks Portuguese Part of BRIC alliance, still included as one of the Global Economy’s future economic superpowers, along with Russia, India, and China. One of the most economically divided countries in the world. Sao Paulo slums. Struggles with hosting olympics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu2rmjDDJ2E

Discussion Questions: Do you believe Brazil still belongs in the BRIC group? If not, what do you consider the biggest factors preventing Brazil from becoming the global economic power that it was predicted to be? If you had to opportunity to choose to live in today's America or today’s Brazil which would you choose? Why?

Works Cited Page: https://www.theguardian.com/business/datablog/2015/mar/06/the-noise-from-brazil-an-economy-on-the-brink http://www.panoramas.pitt.edu/politics/brazils-long-history-corruption https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wU6dgxG01w https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Dilma_Rousseff https://library.brown.edu/create/fivecenturiesofchange/chapters/chapter-9/brazil-as-a-global-economic-player/