Diferentes padrões de políticas salariais nos estados brasileiros: uma análise a partir do diferencial de salários público-privado

Public servant wages represent a significant part of Brazilian state governments' current expenses. Based on the literature, this paper has tried to identify which states practice efficient, compensatory or appropriation wage politics through the estimation of public-private wage differentials. The differential of salaries was calculated between 1995 and 2004 following the Oaxaca's technique. The results show that the wage policy of an important number of states has had efficiency and a numerous part of the North and the Northeast states have developed compensatory politics. The Federal District and Roraima practiced a wage policy characterized by explicit appropriation.

Os efeitos das políticas industriais para o setor de produtos eletrônicos do Brasil

The effect of industrial policies on the electronic sector in Brazil. Brazil's reputation in vertical industrial policies is dreadful. The electronics industry case is a good example. As measured by the performance of Brazil's exports vis-à-vis that of a group of emerging economies, the result of these policies was a total disaster. Had not been for the inadequacy of Brazil's industrial policies for this sector, exports of manufactures could have been between 36% and 46% higher than they actually were. Brazil's cumulated losses from 1984, when foreign microcomputer firms were prohibited to operate in the country, are estimated to be from 3.6 to 4.6 the country's manufactures export revenue in 2005.

Instituições e políticas regionais: uma proposta para a nova Sudene

Sudene is the Brazilian Federal Agency for Northeast development. The Agency was recreated last year and this article discusses the possibility of its success. The main point argued here is that financial incentives per se are not the best way for a sustained economical and social progress. It is necessary a change in the institutions which maintain the status quo of the underdevelopment. The article shows the Sudene history and the motives of its failure.

Políticas de transferência de renda no Brasil e na Argentina

This article deals with the conditioned income-transfer developed by the governments of Lula and Dilma, in the Brazilian case, and by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in Argentina. In other words, the programs Bolsa Família and "Asignación Universal por Hijo para Protección Social". They are comparatively analyzed with regard to their institutionality, the access criteria, the conditionings and the concept of poverty, in order to discuss whether they constitute or not a social right and the relative importance of the amount given.

Bases políticas das transferências intergovernamentais no Brasil (1985-2004)

The politics of intergovernmental transfers in Brazil. This article examines the political economy of public resources distribution in Brazil's federal system in 1985-2004. We propose an empirical exercise to analyze how the country's federal governments deal with the tradeoff between the provision of material wellbeing to sub-national governments (the states in our study) and the pursuit of political support from the latter. To identify the determinants of the transfer of resources from the federal government to the states, a set of economic, political, and institutional variables is econometrically tested. Based upon instrumental variables estimation for panel-data models, our estimates indicate that in Brazil the pursuit of political goals prevails over social equity and economic efficiency criteria: higher levels of per capita transfers are associated with the political makeup of governing coalitions, while larger investments in infrastructure and development by the states are associated with a lower amount of per capita resources transferred to sub-national governments. Our findings also suggest a trend toward the freezing of interregional inequalities in Brazil, and show the relevance of fiscal discipline laws in discouraging the use of the administrative apparatus for electioneering.

Políticas productivas y competitividad industrial: El caso de Argentina y Brasil

This article aims, on the one hand, to analyze the increase of productive asymmetries between Argentina and Brazil that have been evidencing during the last two decades, and are currently reveled in the structural trade deficit of industrial products that affects Argentina in the bilateral relationship. On the other hand, it intends to contribute to understanding the roots of these asymmetries based on the differences in the public policies implemented by both countries during the period extending from the implementation of the Mercosur, in the early 1990s, until 2008. The focus is set on the technological pattern of industrial production and trade structures, considering a non neutral impact over the long term development.

Crescimento clássico e crescimento retardatário: um novo enfoque para políticas de desenvolvimento

RESUMO O artigo defende a tese de que, diferentemente do que acontece nos países desenvolvidos, em que o crescimento depende dos níveis de poupanças e de inovações tecnológicas, nos países subdesenvolvidos o crescimento está condicionado à disponibilidade de mercado. Em termos de política econômica, isso significa que nos desenvolvidos o esforço deve ser no sentido da criação de poupanças e inovações tecnológicas de nível adequado, enquanto nos subdesenvolvidos o importante é garantir mercado do dinamismo e dimensões necessários à eliminação de seu atraso econômico. O não reconhecimento dessa diferença, resultante de a Economia do Desenvolvimento não ter proposto modelo específico para o crescimento retardatário, tem levado a sérios erros nas políticas de desenvolvimento.