Reflecting on new developmentalism and classical developmentalism

This paper, first, distinguishes new developmentalism, a new theoretical system that is being created, from really existing developmentalism – a form of organizing capitalism. Second, it distinguishes new developmentalism from its antecedents, Development Economics or classical developmentalism and Keynesian Macroeconomics. Third, it discusses the false opposition that some economists have adopted between new developmentalism and social-developmentalism, which the author understands as a form of really existing developmentalism; as theory, it is just a version of classical developmentalism with a bias toward immediate consumption. Finally, it makes a summary of new developmentalism – of its main political economy, economic theory and economic policy claims

The new developmentalism and conventional orthodoxy

O Fracasso das Políticas e Reformas Propostas por Washington e Nova York, Aqui Denominadas Ortodoxia Convencional , em Promover a Estabilização e o Crescimento Econômico na América Latina Abriu Espaço para o Surgimento de uma Estratégia Nacional de Crescimento, a Qual Chamamos Novo-Desenvolvimentismo . Capitalismo, Desenvolvimento Econômico, Nação e Estado-Nação são Conceitos Históricos Interdependentes. o Desenvolvimento do Capitalismo Depende de uma Estratégia Nacional que Precisa de uma Nação Capaz de Formulá-La. o Antigo Desenvolvimentismo Promoveu o Crescimento na América Latina Desde os Anos 1930, Mas nos Anos 1980 Ficou Ultrapassado. Diferentemente, o Novo Desenvolvimentismo é Orientado para as Exportações e Rejeita o Protecionismo. Ambicionando um Mercado e um Estado Fortes, Apóia uma Disciplina Fiscal que Vise uma Poupança Pública Positiva. é Nacionalista, Porque Visa o Interesse Nacional e Rejeita as Pressões Vindas do Norte, Mas é um Nacionalismo Liberal, Social e Republicano. Diverge Fortemente da Ortodoxia Convencional, Porque Rejeita a Estratégia de Crescimento com Poupança Externa e a Abertura da Conta Capital, Afirma que a Taxa de Cambio Pode e Deve ser Administrada, e que é Necessária uma Estratégia Especial para Combater Taxa de Juro Alta e a Moeda Apreciada que Mantêm a Economia Brasileira Instável e Semi-Estagnada.

After the demise of neoliberalism but not of conservatism, a third developmentalism?

Neoliberalism and developmentalism are the two alternative forms of economic and political organization of capitalism. Since the 2008 global financial crisis we see the demise of neoliberalism in rich countries, as state intervention and regulation increased, opening room for a third historical developmentalism (the first was mercantilism, the second, Fordism). Not only because of major market failures, not only because the market is definitely unable to assure financial stability and full employment, an active macroeconomic policy is being required. Modern economies are divided into a competitive and a non-competitive sector; for the coordination of the competitive sector the market is irreplaceable and regulation as well as strategic industrial policy will be pragmatically adopted following the subsidiarity principle, whereas for the non-competitive sector, state coordination and some state ownership are usually more efficient. Besides, the fact that capitalist economies are increasingly diversified and complex is an argument against the two extremes – against statism as well as neoliberalism – in so far that they require market coordination combined with increased regulation. But the third developmentalism probably will not be progressive as was the second, because the social-democratic political parties are disoriented. They won the battle for the welfare state, which neoliberalism was unable to dismantle, but the competition of low wage developing countries and immigration continue to offer arguments to conservative political parties that defend the reduction of the cost of labor contracts or the or precarization of labor.

Estado, estado-nação e formas de intermediação social

This paper, first, situates the nation-state historically, as a product of the capitalist revolution. Second, it distinguishes the state (the law system and the organization that guarantees it) from the nation-state or country (the territorial political unit formed by a nation, a state and a territory). Third, it defines nation, civil society and class coalitions, understanding that they are forms of society politically organized, which role is to act as intermediary between society and the state. Fourth, it uses these concepts plus the ones of relative autonomy and of anteriority to understand the ever changing relation between the state and society, where in early moments the state or its elites assumed the lead, and later, as democratization takes place, the protagonist role changed gradually to the people. The paper emphasizes the class coalitions, and argues that behind the two basic forms or economic and political organization of capitalism – developmentalism and economic liberalism – there are the correspondent class coalitions