Brazil Dossier: Lula and Brazilian Transitions

This Brazil Dossier originates in a conference organised by La Trobe University's Institute of Latin American Studies in late 2003. The conference entitled ‘Lula and Brazilian Transitions’ brought together a wide range of scholars focusing on the rise of the Brazilian Workers' Party (PT) to federal office in 2002, and its performance in office. Inspired by the level of debate at this conference, it was decided to publish some of the more topical pieces and ask contributors to re-work their presentations into short essays. Moreover, the decision was made to complement this collection with opinion pieces solicited in the two years that followed. The dossier brings together six points of view that differ in focus on assessment of the Lula government and the Brazilian political economy. Together they offer a succinct snapshot of Lula and Brazilian transitions. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.