Industrial policy: theory and practice in Brazil and in the OECD countries

ABSTRACT The paper analyses the recent development of industrial and technological policies in Brazil as compared to those adopted in the main OECD countries. The first section sets the background, presenting a brief description of the evolution of the global economy. The second section presents the analytical framework of the article. It argues that presently there are four “industrial policy agendas”, derived from theoretical and political considerations - ultra-liberal, reformist liberal, neo-developmental and social-democrat. The third section presents the evolution of the Brazilian industrial and technological policy during the nineties, examining in more detail the present situation. The fourth section presents the policies pursued by the main OECD countries (the United States, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom), examining their evolution and focusing on the present pattern of policies. The last section presents the main conclusions of the paper.