State economic planning around transnational corporations in a period of globalization : the case of Brazil

Abstract

This study depicts the economic and other legislative changes carried out by the state apparatus around transnational corporations in the context of globalization. It uses the case study of Brazil where there has been drastic changes in the involvement of the state in the development process. Brazil is representative of position that many countries in the developing world find themselves in. There is a need for economic and other policy reforms in order to attract global capital. In some respects this has meant a reduction of the state in the economy, as the state has to deal with an increasing complexity of interests set at the international level. Moreover, with the power and wealth that transnationals command, they have been placed in a position to further dictate the direction of future state macroeconomic planning. The issue raised and addressed in this thesis looks beyond the question of whether the role of the state has been curtailed in favor of global capital accumulation. It examines the question of whether the role of the state has been reduced or just transformed in a period of globalization.