The Reduction of Poverty and Inequality in Brazil
The Reduction of Poverty and Inequality in Brazil
Political Causes, Political Consequences
This chapter reviews macropolitical interpretations of both causes and consequences of Brazil's recent reduction of poverty and inequality, stressing the 2003-2013 period. The chapter reviews four theses about causes and four theses about consequences. On causes of pro-poor policies, the chapter addresses: (1): a general "inclusive institutions" argument; (2) a mobilizationist/participationist perspective; (3) a consensus politics argument, focusing on path dependency since the Plano Real; and (4) a neoinstitutionalist perspective, based on new understandings of coalitional governance. On the consequences of pro-poor policies, the chapter evaluates (1) new class and regional cleavages in presidential elections; (2) the realignment thesis proposed by André Singer; (3) contested propositions of lulismo, i.e., the idea that social transformation is associated with a single governmental experience; and (4) impacts on Brazilian political culture, including changes in mass value priorities (i.e., emerging quality of life agenda) and in mass behavior (e.g., the protest activity of 2013).
Keywords: Brazil, democracy, poverty, inequality, Bolsa Família, Lula, Dilma, realignment, elections
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