Adrift: Brazil’s Crisis of Confidence

Corruption alone does not explain Brazil’s economic malaise.

By Mark S. Langevin, October 1, 2015 | http://www.theglobalist.com/brazil-crisis-of-confidence-politics/

Takeaways

• President Dilma Rousseff’s approval ratings hit rock bottom at 7% in recent opinion polls.
• Corruption alone does not explain Brazil’s economic malaise.
• Brazilians’ tax burden grew from 25% of GDP in 1991 to more than 35% by 2014.
• The public sector appropriated some 45% of Brazil’s per capita economic growth.
• Much of Brazil’s increased spending was devoted to education and health programs.
• The average retirement age in Brazil is lower than nearly every developed country. http://www.theglobalist.com/brazil-crisis-of-confidence-politics/