ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the scope for this book, its conceptual framing as well as offering a brief comparative overview of the performance of Brazil’s economy. It is established that Brazil, despite its emergence as a major global economy, continues to face serious challenges. These are exemplified in its proneness to crisis and, over the past five years at least, a notable fall off in growth performance. In explaining the background to these issues, the central argument is that Brazil faces ingrained structural impediments to accelerated, inclusive and sustainable growth. These have emerged over several decades and have prevented Brazil from realising its undoubted potential.
The structural challenges at issue fall broadly into three areas: those centring on competitiveness and the supply side, those arising from critical macroeconomic issues and those connected with environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
