Fiscal Straitjacket: The Politics of Macroeconomic Reform in Brazil, 1995–2002

2003 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 545-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID SAMUELS
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Policy Choice ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
Spending Patterns ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Internal Debt

Brazil's President Fernando Henrique Cardoso will be remembered for his administration's accomplishments as well as the problems his government left unresolved. On the one hand, fiscal policy represents one of Cardoso's success stories: the Plano Real curbed inflation, established economic stability, and enabled the central government to rein in subnational governments' out-of-control spending patterns, which had been a key source of macroeconomic instability. However, the question remains whether Brazil can truly escape from the political and economic consequences of past fiscal profligacy. Despite many successes, Cardoso's own policies have created additional obstacles that future administrations will necessarily confront, in particular a dramatic increase in Brazil's internal debt. Observers of Brazil should count both sides of the accounting ledger when evaluating the Cardoso administration. Much has been gained, but the costs of those gains must be recognised and the impact of those gains on the range of policy choice available to future administrations understood. This article explores the factors that contributed to Brazil's macroeconomic difficulties prior to 1995, and then explores how the Plano Real provided the Cardoso administration with leverage to constrain the capacity of subnational actors to affect Brazil's economy. Subsequently, however, the paper describes how the Cardoso administration's policies have created Brazil's current ‘fiscal straitjacket’, and concludes by discussing how Cardoso's policies will constrain future administrations.

Eastern Orthodoxy and Europe

2021 ◽  
pp. 479-496
Author(s):  
Effie Fokas
Keyword(s):  
The Political ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Eastern Orthodoxy ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Political Reality ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter considers the relationship between ‘Orthodoxies’ and ‘Europes’, highlighting the multiplicity of Eastern Christian Orthodox approaches and attitudes towards Europe, from one majority Orthodox national context to another and one historical period to another, ranging from anti-Europeanism (and anti-Westernism) to Europhilism. It also draws attention to differences in Orthodox stances on the idea of Europe, on the one hand, and the political reality of the European unification project, on the other. A temporal perspective is particularly relevant in changing attitudes to the European Union. Special attention is paid to external perspectives on the relationship between ‘Orthodoxy’ and ‘Europe’, often politicized and influenced by the political turmoil in the Balkans. The chapter closes with reference to the situation of flux characterizing contemporary conceptions of Europe, and the impact of the latter on ‘Orthodoxy’ in relation to ‘Europe’.

scholarly journals The (No-)Public Space. Reviewing the Transformation of Al-Qaed Ibrahim's Urban Image

2020 ◽  
pp. 177-192
Author(s):  
Iman Hegazy
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The Political ◽  
Urban Image ◽  
Political Conflicts ◽  
Political Events ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Public spaces are defined as places that should be accessible to all inhabitants without restrictions. They are spaces not only for gathering, socializing and celebrating but also for initiating discussions, protesting and demonstrating. Thus, public spaces are intangible expressions of democracy—a topic that the paper tackles its viability within the context of Alexandria, case study Al-Qaed Ibrahim square. On the one hand, Al-Qaed Ibrahim square which is named after Al-Qaed Ibrahim mosque is a sacred element in the urban fabric; whereas on the other it represents a non-religious revolutionary symbol in the Alexandrian urban public sphere. This contradiction necessitates finding an approach to study the characteristic of this square/mosque within the Alexandrian context—that is to realize the impact of the socio-political events on the image of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square, and how it has transformed into a revolutionary urban symbol and yet into a no-public space. The research revolves around the hypothesis that the political events taking place in Egypt after January 25th, 2011, have directly affected the development of urban public spaces, especially in Alexandria. Therefore methodologically, the paper reviews the development of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square throughout the Egyptian socio-political changes, with a focus on the square’s urban and emotional contextual transformations. For this reason, the study adheres to two theories: the "city elements" by Kevin Lynch and "emotionalizing the urban" by Frank Eckardt. The aim is not only to study the mentioned public space but also to figure out the changes in people’s societal behaviour and emotion toward it. Through empowering public spaces, the paper calls the different Egyptian political and civic powers to recognize each other, regardless of their religious, ethnical or political affiliations. It is a step towards replacing the ongoing political conflicts, polarization, and suppression with societal reconciliation, coexistence, and democracy.

scholarly journals Features of the Political Development of Africa in the Postcolonial Period

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-38
Author(s):  
Wolde Mikhael Kassaye Nigusie ◽  
Natalia Viktorovna Ivkina
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Political Development ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
The Political ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
National Leaders ◽  
Common Opinion ◽  
The One ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
The Impact

The article is devoted to the features of the formation and development of Africa in the postcolonial period. The authors study such fundamental issues as the formation of modern States in Africa, the formation of the ruling elite and its influence on the political and socio-economic system, the role of the army and ethnic conflicts in the process of state formation. The relevance of the research is due to the fact that Russian and foreign historical science has not yet formed a common opinion on how to assess the consequences of the colonial period for Africa. Pluralism of opinions, on the one hand, generates the discussion for research, on the other, introduces a destructive imbalance in the representation of the region. As a novelty of the study, it’s necessary to note the neo-patrimonial approach to studying the features of the postcolonial period in Africa. It identifies separate thematic blocks that help assess the impact of colonization on the development of countries on the continent. The article also considers the correlation between the traditional and westernized elements within African political culture. The borrowing of political institutions and statehood theories is also considered not only as a consequence of the colonial past, but also as the political choice of the first national leaders of Africa, in the framework of their aspiration to choose an effective development way and to find a balance between the tradition and modernization. The main purpose of the study is to assess the results of decolonization in the context of ethnic, military and political aspects of the formation of African States. The polemic nature of the principles of understanding the postcolonial period of African development has led to the need to use a functional approach as a methodological basis. This is due to the need to study the principles of functioning of the political system of the region, rather than individual states. The neo-patrimonialist approach also gave rise to the use of a comparative method to compare the main theoretical postulates with the real situation in Africa. A vast array of sources and literature in Russian and English is needed to reflect the multi-vector possibilities of research on African issues.

scholarly journals Red capital in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Wang-Kaeding ◽  
Malte Philipp Kaeding
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
The Political ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Capitalism ◽  
Liberal Societies ◽  
One Country Two Systems ◽  
The One ◽  
Systems Framework ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to recount the scale, composition and agents of red capital in Hong Kong; second, to conceptualise the peculiarity of red capital; and third, to explore the impact of red capital on the political and economic institutional setup in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The paper consults the comparative capitalism literature to conceptualise the phenomenon of red capital. The paper gathers data from Hong Kong Stock Exchange and indices to provide an overview of red capital. Furthermore, the case study of 2016 Legislative Election is deployed to investigate the mechanisms of red capital’s influence. The paper concludes with a summary of how red capital may challenge the validity of the “One Country, Two Systems” framework. Findings This paper argues that red capital replicates China’s state–capital nexus in Hong Kong and morphs the game of competition in favour of Chinese nationally controlled companies. In tandem with the emerging visibility of the party–state in Hong Kong’s economic sphere, the authors observe attempts of Chinese economic actors to compromise democratic institutions, deemed obstacles to state control. Originality/value This paper is the first attempt to systematically embed the discussion of red capital into comparative capitalism literature. This study provides conceptual tools to examine why red capital could pose a threat to liberal societies such as Hong Kong. Through this paper, we introduce a novel research agenda to scrutinise capital from authoritarian states and investigate how the capital is changing the political infrastructure shaped by liberal principles and values.

scholarly journals Digitization and its Impact on Political Media Space: Theoretical Aspect

2019 ◽  
pp. 464-471
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Gribovod
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Theoretical Aspect ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
The Political ◽  
Media Space ◽  
Political Media ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The process of digitization as the new theoretical framework for studying economic, social and political practices is actively applied in the academic discourse, yet the conceptual nature of digitization is not sufficiently studied. The paper analyzes the digitization phenomenon both from the perspective of theoretical comprehension of the impact of digital and novel information and communication technologies (ICT) on various social institutions and processes, and from the perspective of identifying and classifying methodology approaches that exist in the humanities discourse and interpret the process of political media space digitization. An attempt is made to define the main stages of the political media space formation; key mass media tools are identified at each stage. The research identifies the technocratic, discursive and cratological approaches making it possible to identify the features of political media space’s digital transformation. Under conditions of digital society emergence, the political media space is considered to be, on the one hand, a “soft power” instrument and on the other hand, a combination of information resources, mass media institutions, channels and networks building a certain information infrastructure of a country, a region, a city.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CHINA’S ECONOMY: 2020 RESULTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 104-122
Author(s):  
Vlada Petushkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
New Targets ◽  
Specific Experience ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Patterns Of Interaction ◽  
China’S Economy

In 2020, China was able not only to effectively respond to the challenge associated with the threat of the spread of COVID-19 and to gain social and economic stability in the difficult conditions, but also to reach new targets. China’s specific experience in coping with the economic consequences of the pandemic cannot be fully transferred to foreign countries, but is an important example for the development of possible patterns of interaction between the state, the economy and society in the face of the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Media framing of the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes. A content analysis of the identification and management of the problem

2021 ◽  
pp. 47-76
Author(s):  
Jesús Muyor Rodríguez ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Media Framing ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Political ◽  
Model Of Care ◽  
Decision Making Capacity ◽  
The Media ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older people is being especially significant. The nursing homes, in particular, have become a set of enormous relevance. In this context, the media have increased their expansion, being crucial as channels of information. This article analyzes the Spanish press's media treatment on the news that links COVID-19 with residences for the elderly. We are interested in exploring how to perceive and define the COVID-19 pandemic as a social problem in the context of nursing homes. We perform a content analysis, with a qualitative approach, using the NVivo software. A total of 339 news items from the four primary generalist media were analyzed. On the one hand, the main results indicate the predominance of journalistic content that alludes to the failure of residential care as a model of care and protection for the elderly. On the other hand, responsibility for reversing the situation is attributed to the political and institutional sphere, minimizing the centers themselves' decision-making capacity and autonomy.

scholarly journals Current Issues on the Political Representation of Middle Classes in Chile

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Barozet ◽  
Vicente Espinoza
Keyword(s):  
Political Representation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
The Political ◽  
Representation System ◽  
Middle Classes ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Efficient Representation ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Critical Citizens

In this article, we analyze the impact that the evolution of the middle classes has had on political representation in Chile. Based on a description of the transformations of Chilean social structure in recent decades, we review the conceptual frameworks available on the subject, from modernization theories and the rise of new masses – particularly the one that “emerged” from poverty – to the forming of new critical citizens. We state that the heterogeneity of Chilean middle classes has challenged the discredited representation system. We observe more efficient representation channels developing for medium-high-income, educated, and consolidated sectors in contrast to new social policy demands from emerging and vulnerable sectors, focusing more on consolidating their economic status than on improving representation channels.

scholarly journals The failure of mainstream parties and the impact of new challenger parties in France, Italy and Spain

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Piero Ignazi
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
The Other ◽  
European Countries ◽  
The Political ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Post War ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Collective Engagement

Abstract Political parties share a very bad reputation in most European countries. This paper provides an interpretation of this sentiment, reconstructing the downfall of the esteem in which parties were held and their fall since the post-war years up to present. In particular, the paper focuses on the abandonment of the parties' founding ‘logic of appropriateness’ based, on the one hand, on the ethics for collective engagement in collective environments for collective aims and, on the other hand, on the full commitment of party officials. The abandonment of these two aspects has led to a crisis of legitimacy that mainstream parties have tried to counteract in ways that have proven ineffective, as membership still declines and confidence still languishes. Finally, the paper investigates whether the new challenger parties in France, Italy and Spain have introduced organizational and behavioural changes that could eventually reverse disaffection with the political party per se.

scholarly journals Production of Rice in Nigeria: The Role of Indian-Nigerian Bilateral Cooperation in Food Security

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-150
Author(s):  
I. U. Lucky
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Foreign Exchange ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Rice Production ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Bilateral Agreements ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Land Cultivation ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The article focuses on the impact of India-Nigeria agricultural cooperation on rice production in Nigeria. Since 2000 in the quest for food sufficiency, diversification of the country’s sources of foreign exchange, increasing employment for the rising population as well as expanding its external relations Nigeria has signed several bilateral agreements on agriculture with India. The analysis of the developments in the sub-sector, as well as media, governmental and non-governmental reports in the field and the interviews of the farmers has revealed that the Indian firms, including “Olam Group” and “Popular Farms and Mills Ltd”, have cultivated thousands of hectares of land, built mills and machinery, provided farmers in 16 Nigerian states with better rice seedlings, and engaged thousands of farmers in regular training improving employment and revitalizing communities in the country. The support given by the Indian firms has triggered an unprecedented increase in rice production. The paper concludes that the agreements, particularly the one of 2017, have further promoted, strengthened and expanded rice production in the context of food security, job creation and saving foreign exchange. The article, therefore, demonstrates how Nigeria-India bilateral ties and cooperative programs have changed the dynamics of rice production in the country and brought more profound economic consequences. Despite the fact that Nigeria is not yet selfsufficient in rice production with the gap of around 2.5 million tonnes, the agricultural programs initiated within the framework of the Nigeria-India bilateral agreements and realized as large-scale agriculture programmes including investments, training, supply of better seedlings, land cultivation promoted by powerful corporations have significantly changed the economic and social environment in Nigeria.

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