A COUNTRY'S RISE TO PROMINENCE: HOW CAN BRAZIL BECOME A SUPERPOWER IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

Book excerpt: This thesis explores the potential of the Federative Republic of Brazil to become a superpower in the 21st century. First, the thesis discusses the characteristics and attributes of superpowers in the 20th and 21st centuries. Next, it provides a solid presentation of Brazil's past and establishes the importance of the country's geography, political structure and culture. Brazil's potential to become a superpower is closely examined in Chapter III. Chapters IV and V provide an assessment of Brazil's domestic and foreign policies, respectively. Also, this thesis offers various proposals for the actions Brazil can take in order to become a superpower in the 21st century. Values are considered throughout the thesis by examining the various attributes and behaviors that contribute to a state becoming a superpower and by exploring how the Brazilian government does interact and should interact with its citizens and with other countries, through domestic and foreign policy. Overall, based on Brazil's regional dominance, its burgeoning economy, and its increasing status throughout the international community, this thesis concludes that Brazil could become a superpower within the next forty to fifty years.