Democratization, political affinity, and industrial policy in Brazil

With the continuing consolidation of democratic forms of government in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America, people with advanced technical training play an increasing influential role in shaping industrial policy in these regions. This is especially true in newly industrializing countries (NICs) such as Brazil, which are striving to maintain their technological competitiveness in the world economy - or at the very least, not fall further behind the more developed countries. The role of such technical elites in the shaping of industrial policy during Brazil's transition to democracy, which occurred from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, serves as a useful case study for demonstrating the influence these groups can have on industrial policy in NICs during democratic transitions. The Brazilian case further demonstrates that the political orientations of technical elites in various industries can significantly influence policy outcomes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.