From Petista Way to Brazilian Way: How the PT Changes in the Road
Document Type
Book
Publication Date
2008
Journal Title
Revista Debates
Volume
2
Number
2
Pages
245 - 271
Publisher
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Abstract
When Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva won Brazil’s presidency in 2002, he and his Workers’ Party (PT) had most observers convinced that this was a watershed moment for the country’s democracy. After all, the PT had built a reputation for over twenty years for good government and ethics in politics. Yet Lula’s government has been severely undermined by corruption scandals, which surprised the most cynical PT-watchers and fostered broad disillusionment among many long-time PT supporters. This article lays out four interweaving strands of explanation for the PT’s fall from grace, involving: the high cost of Brazilian elections, the strategic decisions of the party’s dominant faction, economic constraints on an eventual Lula administration, and the difficulties of multi-party presidential systems.
Recommended Citation
Goldfrank, B., & Wampler, B. (2008). From Petista Way to Brazilian Way: How the PT Changes in the Road. Revista Debates, 2(2), 245 - 271
