This paper has primarily attempted to determine whether neoliberal economic policy is making a return to Brazil, and secondarily what the most likely explanation for this could be. The elections of...Show moreThis paper has primarily attempted to determine whether neoliberal economic policy is making a return to Brazil, and secondarily what the most likely explanation for this could be. The elections of October 2018 provided the context to perform an analysis on this subject: the two candidates competing in the second round of elections, Jair Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad and their visions on economic policy for Brazil have been analyzed through the method of content analysis. The programas de governo or governing programs of both candidates has served as the main subject of the study. Additionally articles in journals and interviews have been taken into consideration. Neoliberal economic policy in this paper is defined as a specific set of economic policies associated with the Washington Consensus. Although the Washington Consensus contains a total of ten advised economic reforms, the analysis in this paper will focus on specifically three, namely privatization, trade liberalization and austerity. This will be followed by a demonstration of a ‘retreat’ of neoliberal economic policy worldwide at the hand of the trade policies of the Trump administration in the United States and the change of direction made by International Financial Institutions. Thirdly, the political situation of the last years in Brazil will be described in order to provide the reader with the necessary context for the analysis. Fourthly, the turn to neoliberal economic policy under the current Temer administration will be demonstrated to establish that neoliberalism has returned to Brazil, albeit in the form of a government with near to no public support: favorable views of the (neoliberal) reforms among the candidates under study would be a strong indication a continuation of this policy under a new president is likely. This has been researched through the programas de governo, articles and interviews. Lastly, two possible explanations have been considered. The paper will conclude that it is indeed likely that Brazil, now with a candidate enjoying significant public support, will continue on the path of neoliberal economic policy. This return to neoliberal economic policy will be concluded to be due to a form of crisis management in Brazil.Show less
Since the creation of the European monetary union, countries across the globe have been wondering whether or not they too should form a monetary union. This thesis will examine to what extent it is...Show moreSince the creation of the European monetary union, countries across the globe have been wondering whether or not they too should form a monetary union. This thesis will examine to what extent it is a good idea for four Latin American countries to form a monetary union. The countries in question are Colombia, Chile, Peru and Brazil. These countries have been chosen because similar to the EMU, they share similar characteristics that are essential for the formation of a monetary union. This thesis will look a key questions regarding whether or not these countries should do it, if it’s optimal and if they can form an optimal currency area. To answer these questions, this thesis will look at macroeconomic variables including inflation and government debt. The combination of academic sources and hard economic data will ensure that the question can be answered in a clear and consistent manner. At the end of this thesis there will be a general conclusion whether or not these countries should form a monetary union and if this can become optimal.Show less
The Global Financial crisis of 2008 reached countries all around the world while the United States and Europe experienced their worst economic contraction in the last 75 years. There was a fear...Show moreThe Global Financial crisis of 2008 reached countries all around the world while the United States and Europe experienced their worst economic contraction in the last 75 years. There was a fear that the economic turmoil would also severely impact Latin American countries, which had already experienced several crises in recent decades. However, what baffled many experts was how Latin America reacted to the crisis of 2008. Contrary to the reservations of the experts, Latin America emerged from the crisis with only limited damage. In this paper, the impacts of the crisis and the regions reaction to the economic contraction will be analysed in the context of Mexico and Brazil. The aim is to compare the two countries to establish a thorough understanding of the crisis and its country specific implication while providing an answer to the surprising economic resilience of Latin American countries.Show less
Public security in the city of Rio de Janeiro has been characterized by military intervention in an attempt to contain urban violence and recently, this military intervention model has been...Show morePublic security in the city of Rio de Janeiro has been characterized by military intervention in an attempt to contain urban violence and recently, this military intervention model has been proposed to address urban violence in other Brazilian cities, Latin American countries and in the United States (Hoelscher, Norheim-Martinsen 2014, 957)(Fenizola 2018.) To compliment research in the academic field of violence in conflict areas, this paper aims to explore to what extent the potential relation between educational opportunities and violence can enforce or debilitate conflict in the case of Rio de Janeiro's favelas. To analyse this, an innovative theoretical framework is used that combines insights from fhi360's research on the causal relation between educational opportunities and violent conflict, critical race/post colonial theory, John Galtung's Conflict triangle and sustainable peace. Through a multidisciplinary approach and qualitative data analysis, the findings reveal that underlying the visible direct and structural violence shaping public security, is the mechanism of cultural violence that works to justify the direct and structural expressions of violence and indirectly, the militarization of public security. In regards to education, this entail that marginalized youth generally end up in a negative spiral of exclusion that enforces pacification, repression, more violence and eventually less educational opportunities. In response to this model, the paper proposes a method that can reverse the causal cycle of violent conflict and educational opportunities so that sustainable peace may be achieved.Show less
Bachelor thesis about the effects of Chinese FDI on Brazil´s economic development with representative case studies from Brazil´s petrochemical, - electric power transmission,- and telecommunication...Show moreBachelor thesis about the effects of Chinese FDI on Brazil´s economic development with representative case studies from Brazil´s petrochemical, - electric power transmission,- and telecommunication industry. Based on a multidisciplinary approach grounded in business, economics, public policy and political economy the hypothesis that Chinese FDI leads to deindustrialization in Brazil via (1) facilitating commodity exports through infrastructure provision and (2) incentivizing the import of manufactured Chinese goods by creating technological dependencies. Key findings include that even though Chinese investment is mostly resource-seeking and conducted by Chinese SOEs in the Brazilian energy sector, the presence of national Champions such as Eletrobras and Petrobras with high innovative capacities might still lead to technological spillovers. So, do complementary technological expertise and Brazilian capital needs. However, a conservative industrial policy paired with an expansionary fiscal policy enabled rent-seeking behavior and culminated in the Lava Jato scandal, which substantially hampered Brazilian absorptive capacities. Especially in the telecommunication sector a clear link between Chinese FDI and Brazilian deindustrialization was evident, as investment incentivized technology imports from China. Nonetheless, the outlook is mixed as academics predict a shift from resource-seeking to efficiency-, and asset-seeking investment, which has yet to materialize but might yield more positive externalities in the future.Show less
Ever since their elections in 2003 and 2006 respectively, Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva and Michelle Bachelet have been dominant figures within their national politics and have also been influential...Show moreEver since their elections in 2003 and 2006 respectively, Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva and Michelle Bachelet have been dominant figures within their national politics and have also been influential at a regional level. Their individual dominance can be viewed through the wider phenomenon of increasingly personalised leadership throughout the world. Politics is viewed and covered through the lens of individual politicians, instead of political parties. Headlines are dominated by Trump and May, not by the Republicans or the Conservatives respectively. Furthermore, populism has also been a key aspect in modern politics, especially in Latin America where the rise of leftist-populist governments, often called the “Pink Tide”, has dramatically reshaped regional politics (Remmer 2012, 949). Similar populist movements have only come to the US and Europe far more recently. This essay will analyse the wider context of the left in Latin America, both Lula and Bachelet individually, their respective political parties, and populism as a theory. This will be done through a critical literature review and comparative analysis. The aim is to answer the question, to what extent have individual leaders replaced political parties as the dominant force within politics.Show less
Lack of water access and inequality are deeply interrelated, particularly in developing countries such as Bolivia, where the poor often pay more money for less water. Simultaneously, continuous...Show moreLack of water access and inequality are deeply interrelated, particularly in developing countries such as Bolivia, where the poor often pay more money for less water. Simultaneously, continuous population growth and water scarcity prompting the rising demand for water, illustrates the necessity for large capital investments in infrastructure to ensure universal water access. For this reason, water management and regulation play a crucial role in water provision, as well as, in achieving sufficient profits for the water system’s economic sustainability. The main focus of this thesis is whether both, social equity and economic efficiency, can be achieved by water utility systems. This thesis studies the social and economic performance of six different water utility services in Bolivia, as well as, the effects of certain public policies on social equity and economic efficiency. Finally, it argues that the six cases of private, public, and cooperative water utility services analysed, show deficiencies in either one of the two criteria.Show less
Coffee is a volatile commodity. Many producers have suffered of severe price fluctuations. On the side of consumers the market has seen a rise of ethical consumership over the past few years, where...Show moreCoffee is a volatile commodity. Many producers have suffered of severe price fluctuations. On the side of consumers the market has seen a rise of ethical consumership over the past few years, where there is a wish to consume sustainable and fair products. The Fair Trade certification is one of these certifications and aims to create an equitable market, where producers receive a price that generates a sustainable livelihood. This research looks at the impact the Fair Trade certification has had on rural development in the region of Cusco, Peru, one of Peru's coffee producing areas.Show less
Brazil is a rising power, one of the BRIC countries, recently ranked as the 8th largest economy, thus a country ripe for analysis. Yet, Brazil is highly unequal, classified in the top 10 most...Show moreBrazil is a rising power, one of the BRIC countries, recently ranked as the 8th largest economy, thus a country ripe for analysis. Yet, Brazil is highly unequal, classified in the top 10 most unequal countries in the world, which begs the question of how it could have grown so rich and how such wealth could be used to tackle poverty and inequality. This thesis tries to give an understanding of how microfinance institutions in Brazil can help alleviate inequality in the region. This thesis will argue that microfinance can be part of a solution to solve economic and social inequality as it can increase income, generate employment, offer valuable skills and empower women. Even though issues arise such as dependency and possible debt, institutions can be reformed to make them more effective in achieving their goals. Thus the last part of the thesis will offer solutions and make recommendations.Show less
Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the World and accounts for around 36.5 Billion US dollars’ worth of trade, according to the UN (2017, 180). It is a widely democratized beverage in...Show moreCoffee is one of the most traded commodities in the World and accounts for around 36.5 Billion US dollars’ worth of trade, according to the UN (2017, 180). It is a widely democratized beverage in western societies nowadays, with the largest importers in the World being the EU and the US. How can coffee trade contribute to both the development of the Latin American countries and the empowerment of its small producers? The aim of this paper is to provide practical solutions that can be implemented to empower the producers, at each of the stages of the coffee supply chain. Within the framework of the New Rural Development paradigm, this paper finds that producing countries should help the individual producers by providing an enabling environment for better producing conditions and should coordinate with other producing countries to, again, strengthen their negotiating power vis-à-vis developed consuming countries. The consuming countries, in turn, should not hinder the development of the producing countries with discriminatory import tariffs and should instead provide the legal and executive framework allowing producing countries to develop themselves. Finally, individual consumers should voice their support for better living conditions for the coffee producers by buying products from sustainable supply chains.Show less
This thesis examines water privatization in Bolivia. It evaluates an episode in which privatized utilities failed to perform as expected by advocates of market reform. Consequently, they were taken...Show moreThis thesis examines water privatization in Bolivia. It evaluates an episode in which privatized utilities failed to perform as expected by advocates of market reform. Consequently, they were taken back into public ownership. Bolivia. What went wrong in Bolivia’s water sector? The private enterprises were not able to meet the mandates of the contract. The concessionaires had not been able to improve efficiency of water services. Subsequently, they imposed an extreme tariffs hike to cover the costs of investments. The promises of privatisation failed to materialize, and regretfully, the consumers of water services were the one’s suffering the most from it.Show less
This work aims to analyze the effects of the Bolsa Família Programme in the reduction of poverty in Brazil, with a particular focus on the poorest Brazilian region: the Northeast. The selected...Show moreThis work aims to analyze the effects of the Bolsa Família Programme in the reduction of poverty in Brazil, with a particular focus on the poorest Brazilian region: the Northeast. The selected theme has been chosen after having observed a noticeable reduction in poverty and extreme poverty rates since the beginning of the Programme in 2003. This reduction has been even more remarkable in the Northeast where most of Bolsa Família beneficiaries are concentrated. Besides, the importance of the Programme is underlined as an instrument of social inclusion and its contribution to human development, given its particular focus on children and teenagers. Finally, attention has been given to the implementation of the Programme at a local level, emphasizing the challenges it faces through a case study analysis of two different realities in the State of Pernambuco, the rural one represented by Caetés Municipality (Agreste, Interior of Pernambuco), and the urban one represented by the Recife Municipality. The methodology, as well as a review of the economic and social literature related to the topic, includes quantitative research supported by a qualitative approach. Thanks to the information collected during fieldwork in Brazil, it has been possible to discuss limitations, achievements and finally the future challenges that the Bolsa Família is facing. This recently became an important debate due to the unexpected changes in Brazilian internal politics that, it is worth noting, could affect the existence of this Programme itself, given its governmental nature.Show less
The Colombian case is an unique one to study. Classified as a middle-income country, its GDP is considerably higher than that of most countries receiving Official Development Assistance (ODA)....Show moreThe Colombian case is an unique one to study. Classified as a middle-income country, its GDP is considerably higher than that of most countries receiving Official Development Assistance (ODA). However, Colombia has been severely taunted by political violence, civil war, and problems related to drug trafficking throughout modern history. After Syria, it is the country with the largest amount of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the world. As recently as 2016, a Peace Agreement has been signed to end the civil war between Colombia’s government, various insurgent groups, and the paramilitaries. Therefore, effective ODA is now more vital than ever to rebuild the country and make sure everyone gets equal opportunities to improve themselves and their livelihoods. This thesis will assess the development process in Colombia in a context of civil war and drug-related violence, and will attempt to make valid recommendations regarding how to make the implementation of ODA more effective.Show less
