Julia E. Sweig states that Secretary Clinton's visit to Brazil "may reflect a political will to make the relationship with Brazil a strategic priority for American foreign policy."

Shannon O'Neil discusses the prospects for the United States' relationship with Brazil.

Eduardo Gomez writes that as President Obama pushes to pass healthcare reform in the United States, "he would do well to examine the praiseworthy successes -- and the worrying failures -- of a decades-old universal system in the region's second-largest democracy."

Brazil's economic dynamism has given it a stronger voice on global trade and energy issues. Experts say Washington can advance its regional interests more effectively through a more sophisticated relationship with Brazil.

Walter Russell Mead argues that an increasing number of developing countries are turning into the "pacesetters of liberal global capitalism."

Some of the unreformed aspects of Brazil's economy are now helping to limit the damage from the world downturn--but its prudence in recent years is helping too.

This article in the World Politics Review evaluates Brazil's ability to surpass its disappointing economic performance during the late 20th century and fully realize its potential for rapid, stable growth.

Special Correspondent Mac Margolis examines why, as Brazil becomes Latin America's economic pacesetter, its neighboring countries are viewing it as target No. 1. With a $1.4 trillion economy and a global political agenda, Brazil stands out in a region hobbled by poverty and poor governance. Its industry eclipses that of its neighbors, assuring Brazil a fat regional trade surplus. And as Brazil's fortunes soar, it casts a harsh spotlight on the shortcomings of its neighbors. The result: increased animosity from across its borders.

As Brazil becomes a more powerful player, its neighbors are becoming increasingly aggressive.

Brazil is on the cusp of fulfilling its potential as a global player. The next U.S. president should rethink relations with this important country.

Paulo Sotero, a veteran Brazilian analyst, discusses the hopes and concerns of his country, and many Latin American states, about the economic impact of the next U.S. administration.

This report on financing energy efficiency draws on lessons from recent experience with a focus on Brazil, China, and India.

The Amazon was the chic eco-cause of the 1990s, revered as an incomparable storehouse of biodiversity. This article by Michael Grunwald examines how even though the Amazon has been overshadowed lately by global warming, it happens also to be an incomparable storehouse of carbon, the very carbon that heats up the planet when it's released into the atmosphere.

The recent discovery of offshore energy reserves and the diminishing sway of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez have been a boon for Brazil’s regional influence.

Leader of the world’s ethanol industry, Brazil is brokering cooperation agreements from India to sub-Saharan Africa. But the outlook for an international biofuels market remains uncertain.

David J. Rothkopf, author of a report for the Inter-American Development Bank on green energy in the Americas, and C. Ford Runge, professor of applied economics and law at the University of Minnesota, discuss the viability of ethanol as an alternative fuel and its prospects in Latin America.

A new U.S.-Brazilian deal aims to boost ethanol production, but analysts say it’s just one of many steps needed if America is to meet its goal of “energy independence.”