With concise historical analysis and forward-looking prescriptions, Pathways to Freedom offers an authoritative and accessible look at what countries must do to build durable and prosperous democracies—and what the United States and others can do to help.

Isobel Coleman and Terra Lawson-Remer share seven lessons from their new book, Pathways to Freedom: Political and Economic Lessons From Democratic Transitions.

On the heels of the Pacific Alliance's May 2013 summit meeting in California, Julia Sweig reflects on the significance of this new regional trade bloc and on the implications of Brazil's foreign trade and investment agenda.

Julia Sweig examines Vice President Biden's upcoming trip to Brazil, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Julia Sweig reflects on Brazil's new domestic workers law.

The recent announcement of a BRICS development bank raised many questions. Isobel Coleman writes about the potential structure and purpose of the BRICS development bank and its implications for international development and the global economy.

The Brazilian government faces a number of challenges and opportunities concerning its economic forecast in the coming years. After peaking at 7.5 percent growth in 2010, Brazil's recent economic slowdown has caused worry that the dream of a new high-growth economy had slipped out of reach.

Read full answer

The global energy map is being redrawn at an accelerated pace. All signs point to the United States becoming part of an increasingly hemispheric energy trade, both for oil as well as for biofuels like ethanol. The Middle East will still loom large in U.S. energy policy given its crucial role in the world oil market, but U.S. energy officials and companies are forging deeper ties with their counterparts elsewhere in the Americas.

Read full answer

Since 1988, Brazilians have cleared more than 153,000 square miles of Amazonian rain forest, devastating the environment and driving global climate change forward ever faster. Recently, however, Brazil has changed its course, reducing the rate of deforestation by 83 percent since 2004. At the same time, it has become a test case for a controversial international climate-change prevention strategy that places a monetary value on the carbon stored in forests.

Julia E. Sweig assesses the recent shift in Mexico's narrative under the newly inaugurated president, Enrique Peña Nieto, and the implications of this shift for Brazil.

Sebastian Mallaby argues that microeconomic struggles are tarnishing the macroeconomic success of the BRICs.

Over the past several years, the most talked-about trend in the global economy has been the so-called rise of the rest, which saw the economies of many developing countries swiftly converging with those of their more developed peers.

While a new round of U.S. quantitative easing will have a negative impact on emerging markets like Brazil, the country should not blame U.S. monetary policy for the structural flaws in its economy, says expert Bernardo Wjuniski.

This joint statement was issued following the fourth meeting of the U.S.-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue on October 24, 2012.

Michael Spence shares his bullish outlook on emerging markets and their ability to rebound from a global growth slowdown.

Julia E. Sweig explores what the political crisis unfolding in Paraguay means for Brazil and its regional leadership.

Julia E. Sweig analyzes expectations and measurements of success at this week's G-20 Summit in Mexico and Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil.

Brazil's rise never depended on the sale of commodities, and thanks to recent reforms, the country will continue to prosper, write Shannon O'Neil, Richard Lapper, and Larry Rohter. Ronaldo Lemos, meanwhile, claims that those reforms have not gone far enough.

Any action Brazil takes in Africa should be based on peaceful cooperation and not military escalation, writes Nikolas Kozloff.

Julia E. Sweig dissects the international quandary over the humanitarian implications of violence in Syria.