The High Court, embedded in Brasília
Posted inJudiciary

The High Court, embedded in Brasília

Brazil’s longest-serving justice, Celso de Mello, has announced that he will resign for health reasons on October 13. As a member of the Supreme Federal Tribunal (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF) since 1989, Mello is often referred to as the “dean” of the Court, carrying forward traditions that in some cases predate the...
October 1, 2020Posted inJudiciary
The end of the Third Republic?
Posted inEconomics Politics

The end of the Third Republic?

Forthwith, a link to my review of eight thought-provoking new books that helped me make sense of the crazy politics of the 2010s, and especially the traumatic period between Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment and the election of Bolsonaro. It was a turbulent time, and each of the books captures different elements of the...
October 1, 2020Posted inEconomics, Politics
The maligned Washington Consensus?
Posted inEconomics

The maligned Washington Consensus?

A new article by Robin Grier and Kevin Grier on the causal effects of Washington Consensus reforms will be relevant to the seemingly never-ending Brazilian discussions between “neoliberals” and “developmentalists” regarding the best routes to economic growth.   The authors analyze the experiences of 141 countries between 1970 and 2015 which saw significant...
October 1, 2020Posted inEconomics