Juscelino Kubitschek and the development of Brazil /

A physician turned politician, Kubitschek is best remembered as the founder of Bras'ilia, but he was more than that. He refined the ideology, practices, and political alliances of Brazil's industrialization phase that Get'ulio Vargas initiated in the 1930s. Kubitschek mobilized support from the traditional agrarian and industrial elites, the middle class, and labor for his Target Program. His objective was to industrialize the economy by involving the state as the principal partner to the private sector. However, Kubitschek neglected agrarian development in favor of industrialization. He directed foreign capital investment to the center-south, where infrastructure was best, while channeling federal money to develop the northeast. His excessive borrowing to pay for development projects got Brazil into debt, provoking a showdown with the IMF. Chronic high inflation, budget deficits, and rising debt are often associated with the Kubitschek legacy. Alexander, an economist known for his works on Latin American labor movements and communist parties, skillfully analyzes the complex process of Brazil's first major economic development experience. This highly readable book is the best biography of Latin America's major postwar political figure in any language. All levels.-E. Pang, Colorado School of Mines