During the last decade the world has changed. We started the current century with a clear leader: The US, but only a few years later the global arena is very different. Europe and the United States are fighting against a strong economic crisis, and their internal problems do not help to fix it. Besides, there are new regional leaders, like China, Brazil, India, and Russia. I will pay special attention to the first two, particularly their policies against poverty and inequality.
The comparison between these countries, in concrete Brazil and China is very interesting, since we can see how different capitalist models are facing evident problems: strong economic growth, millions of poor and corruption. Besides, in the case of China, we are talking about a communist dictatorship with capitalist areas.
To begin with I am going to do a short description about the current economic crisis, where I will discuss some ideas considering the different situation between developed and non-developed countries. To analyze the fight against poverty it is important to understand the scenario that surrounds us. Later on I will point out some political questions about the idea that current world is changing the global arena settled after the fall of the USRR. Concluding this section I will introduce to two of the new winners, Brazil and China, and their exclusive club: BRIC with the idea of describe how are these poor countries facing the problem of the poverty. The questions that I am going to answer are How are Brazil and China facing the poverty? What are the priorities of their governments?
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The amazing new order: Brazil and China and the crisis in the North Atlantic countries
2.1 The World today. North Atlantic economic crisis and the strength of BRIC: a necessary explication about how the board is changing.
2.2. Where are development and progress today? BRIC as a select and promising club.
3 Brazil: between the strong economic growth and the fight against the poverty
4 China: strong reduction of poverty. Inequality can wait
5 Brazil and China: two countries, two models, two priorities
6 Conclusions
7 Bibliography
8 Appendix and Additional Information
Objectives & Core Themes
This publication examines the diverging capitalist models of Brazil and China in their respective efforts to combat poverty and inequality while navigating the shifting global economic landscape following the 2008 North Atlantic financial crisis.
- The impact of the North Atlantic economic crisis on global leadership and the rise of BRIC nations.
- An analysis of Brazilian economic policies, specifically the roles of Cardoso and Lula in poverty reduction.
- A critical evaluation of China's economic growth and its paradoxical approach to poverty and inequality.
- A comparative assessment of government priorities and the effectiveness of social-economic strategies in both nations.
Excerpt from the Book
3 Brazil: between the strong economic growth and the fight against the poverty
Brazil is without doubt the leader of the Latin American region along with Mexico, but the South American nation maintains a bigger influence on the international agenda. The Brazilian leadership lies in the greatest GDP and population of the continent after the US, and the third biggest land area with Canada and the US. The CIA Factbook describes Brazil as the ninth economy in GDP on purchasing power parity in 2010. Considering the disparate economic growth rate during 2010 and the current 2011 between United Kingdom and Brazil, likely we are talking about the current eighth biggest global economy. Therefore, the abrupt attention that Brazil is reaching in recent years is not unusual or peculiar, especially when many previsions place the country within the principal four economies in 2050. But, why does this awakening happen? What happened in Brazil during the last decades and how is the capitalist Brazilian model affecting poverty?
In order to respond these questions we should first get to know the policies implemented since previous century but, for reasons of space, I am only going to focus on the role of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2003) and Lula da Silva (2003-2011), the last two Brazilian's Presidents. Some authors as Juan de Onis (2000: 108) describe their capitalist model as a new model within the Latin American economies since Cardoso promoted the participation of the private companies and foreign investment but preserving a considerable role of the State. Example of this, during their government the American and the Spanish enterprises arrived en masse, reaching sectors like banking, telecommunications, energy, mining, infrastructures or tourism. As Onis (2000: 108) emphasizes, the State still remained certain control over energetic policy, education and health. In any case, the fight against poverty was one of the most important targets for the government, so it was a “ceiling” or event which marks the capitalist Brazilian model. As a result, in 1997 Cardoso privatized Vale do Rio -one of the biggest miner company in the world, public banks and telephone companies among others.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the global shift in power and sets the stage for comparing Brazil and China's distinct approaches to poverty and economic development.
2 The amazing new order: Brazil and China and the crisis in the North Atlantic countries: This chapter discusses the impact of the 2008 economic crisis on developed nations and highlights the emerging influence of the BRIC countries.
3 Brazil: between the strong economic growth and the fight against the poverty: This chapter analyzes Brazil's capitalist model under presidents Cardoso and Lula, focusing on the effectiveness of social programs like Bolsa Escola and Bolsa Familia.
4 China: strong reduction of poverty. Inequality can wait: This chapter examines China's spectacular economic growth and the challenges it faces regarding wealth distribution and internal inequality.
5 Brazil and China: two countries, two models, two priorities: This chapter provides a synthesis comparing the socio-political priorities of Brazil and China in their respective struggles against poverty.
6 Conclusions: This chapter summarizes the findings and reflects on the future economic trajectories of Brazil and China in a post-crisis world.
Keywords
Brazil, China, BRIC, Economic Growth, Poverty, Inequality, Capitalism, Social Programs, Bolsa Familia, Fome Zero, Global Economy, Development, Policy, Socio-political, Governance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on comparing the different capitalist models and economic policies adopted by Brazil and China to address poverty and inequality.
Which countries are centrally featured in the analysis?
The analysis specifically examines Brazil and China as rising global powers within the BRIC group.
What is the central research question?
The research seeks to determine how Brazil and China are addressing poverty and what the specific priorities of their respective governments are.
What methodology is employed in this study?
The work utilizes a comparative analysis of economic policies, drawing on statistical data and academic literature to evaluate political strategies regarding social sustainability.
What content is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the economic shift from the North Atlantic to the BRIC nations, a detailed review of Brazilian social policies from 1995–2011, and an examination of China's growth trajectory and its internal inequality issues.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Brazil, China, BRIC, poverty reduction, capitalist models, economic growth, and social-economic policy.
How does the author characterize the Brazilian economic model?
The author describes it as a model that combines market-oriented policies, such as privatization, with state-led social interventions like Bolsa Familia to fight poverty.
What does the author conclude about the Chinese approach to inequality?
The author observes that while China has achieved significant poverty reduction, its model often prioritizes rapid growth, leading to rising inequality between urban and rural areas.
Does the author suggest that one model is superior?
Rather than declaring a superior model, the author highlights that both nations are dealing with unique challenges—Brazil as a democracy and China as a communist-capitalist hybrid—resulting in different priorities for their populations.
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- Ignacio Garcia Marin (Autor), 2011, Brazil and China: Leadership, economic growth and future, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/180798
