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The history of independent Brazil may be divided in three major political cycles, and, since 1930, we can distinguish five political pacts or class coalitions. Since 1930 these pacts have been nationalist. Only in the 1990s the Brazilian elites surrendered to the neoliberal hegemony. Yet, since the mid 2000s, they are recovering their idea of nation. In fact, the main claim of the essay is that Brazilian elites and the Brazilian society are "national-dependent", i.e., they are ambiguous and contradictory, requiring an oxymoron to define them. Today, it searches for a synthesis between the two last political cycles -- between social justice and economic development in the framework of democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2008 global financial crisis was a consequence of the processes of financialization, the massive creation of fictitious financial wealth which began in the 1980's, and of the hegemony of a reactionary ideology, neoliberalism, based on the belief of the self-regulating capacity and efficiency of markets. From this crisis a new capitalism will emerge, althought its chacarteristics are hard to foresee. It will not be financial, but the tendencies of the 30 "golden years" toward global and knowledge-based capitalism, and the tendency of expansion of democracy will be among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The left usually wins elections in Brazil but eventually does not govern. In order to validate this claim, the paper, first, reviews the concept of left and right, defining the left political groups by their disposition to risk social order in the name of social justice. Second, the paper argues that in modern democracies there is no inconsistency between a left coalition and capitalism. Third, it says that in Brazil the experience shows that the left indeed wins elections but does not govern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developed countries, democracy was liberal during the first half of the XXth century and social democratic during the second. At the present moment, it is in transition to republican or participative democracy. Liberal democracy was elitist, and social democracy was pluralist, since on it the general opinion of electors has become the main preoccupation of politicians. Lately, democracy is becoming republican or participative because citizens attempt more and more at influencing political decision through civil society organizations. In the future, one could think about a deliberative democracy, since public debate is enhanced, political advocacy gets stronger and the responsibility of politicians is reinforced. A brief review of the literature concerning participative democracy states the argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The September 11th episode marked the end of the Balance of Powers Diplomacy, through which the nation-states defined themselves as enemies and solved their problems with war or war threat. Slowly Globalization's Politics replace the previous system, as long as the rule of law emerges at international level. Globalization is inherently unjust to the poor countries: unable to compete in a world where competition prevails, such countries are either just outside the system or, frustrated, recur to terrorism. Interests, however, do not point out only in the direction of inequalities. Through politics, it will be possible to create a less unjust international law system, and even an international government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]