Social Policies in Times of Austerity and Populism

Did years of ultra-right-wing governance dismantle Brazil’s welfare state? In this impressive volume, Natália Sátyro and her colleagues provide an extraordinarily comprehensive and thorough theoretical and empirical treatment of concurrent welfare policy in Brazil. Their analyses conclude that Brazil’s authoritarian populism introduced some policy retrenchments, but the welfare edifice remained resilient against any radical onslaught. This book represents political economy analysis at its very best. Gosta Esping-Andersen, Professor of Sociology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra Natália Sátyro and her colleagues have delivered an exceptional comparative analysis, shedding light on the deliberate efforts of the populist political right to scale back social policies in Brazil. Their work meticulously delineates the extent and depth of social policy dismantling, while also revealing the conditions and motivations that drive politicians to engage in such actions. This book is an indispensable read for scholars interested not only in understanding the repercussions of populist governance on social policy within Brazil but also its implications on a broader global scale. Michael Bauer, Professor of European University Institute and Jean Monnet Professor of the European Union