The Positive Economics of Inflation in Brazil

High and unstable inflation rates have prevailed in Brazil during the period 1985-92. All attempts to stabilize the economy have failed and ‘living with inflation’ has become politically feasible. The structure of the financial market in general, and financial adaptation mechanisms in particular, have played a crucial role in implementing and maintaining this political-economic option. Financial adaptation mechanisms sway the management of monetary and fiscal policies, with a direct influence on the credibility of macroeconomic policy announcements. More importantly, distributive asymmetries generated by those financial instruments, in association with differences in political motivation for different groups in the society, have created a stalemate regarding stabilization efforts. This article argues that, for the Brazilian case, the positive economics literature has failed to explain the inflationary phenomenon because it has not considered financial adaptation as an important linkage between political motivation of certain groups in the society and the correspondent desirable economic outcomes. The validation of social-economic objectives of certain classes became an important raison d'être of financial adaptation. Consequently, change of inflationary regimes carries costs and benefits far beyond those implied by fiscal reform alone.     

THE TIME OF POLITICS,THE POLITICS OF TIME,AND POLITICIZED TIME: AN INTRODUCTION TO CHRONOPOLITICS

Time is so deeply interwoven with all aspects of politics that its centrality to the political is frequently overlooked. For one, politics has its own times and rhythms. Secondly, time can be an object and an instrument of politics. Thirdly, temporal attributes are used not only to differentiate basic political principles but also to legitimize or delegitimize politics. Finally, politics aims at realizing futures in the present or preventing them from materializing. Consequently, the relationship between politics and time encompasses a broad spectrum of phenomena and processes that cry out for historicization. In our introduction to this History and Theory theme issue on chronopolitics, we argue that the concept of chronopolitics makes it possible to do this and, in the process, to move the operation of rethinking historical temporalities from the periphery toward the center of historiographical attention as well as to engage in a dialogue with scholars from a wide range of disciplines. To this end, we propose a broad concept of chronopolitics by discussing existing definitions, by distinguishing between three central dimensions of chronopolitics (the time of politics, the politics of time, and politicized time), and by systematizing possible approaches to studying chronopolitics.     

Evaluating European Regional Innovation Strategies

In this paper we analyse the degree of achievement of the Regional Innovation Strategy goals. This is an European Union Commission policy oriented toward the promotion of regional Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy design through the involvement of regional stakeholders. We analyse two categories of objectives: those dealing with process participation and those dealing with behavioural change. Our results show that the overall achievement of the goals is meaningful: the former have been achieved in a larger extent than the latter ones. However, other aspects such as multidisciplinary, and the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation system have not been so fruitful.     

CELL-CORRECTED RAS METHOD (CRAS) FOR UPDATING OR REGIONALIZING AN INPUT–OUTPUT MATRIX

ABSTRACT.  The RAS method is used to update or regionalize a single matrix such that it conforms to new row and column totals. This paper presents a correction of the RAS method (CRAS) that uses cell variation distributions calculated from multiple matrices of different periods or different regions. After the solution of the regular RAS, an additional optimization problem is solved that produces the most likely cell-corrections to the regular RAS solution. To test the behavior of CRAS, several simulations with a time series of input–output tables for The Netherlands for 1968–1986 are made. They show that—in situations of structural change—applying CRAS improves the regular RAS estimate. The method will also be applicable to traffic, trade, and migration matrices.     

Experimental analysis of rubble stone masonry walls strengthened by transverse confinement under compression and compression-shear loadings

Stone masonry walls of ancient buildings have reasonable resistance to vertical loads but lower resistance to shear forces and reduced tensile strength. However, to achieve such compressive strength the masonry must not disaggregate when subjected to loading. This can be achieved if during the construction of the walls larger stones, usually referred as “through stones”, are used, spanning the thickness of the wall, making it possible to improve the transverse confinement of the masonry. For rehabilitation projects and structural reinforcement of such buildings, the transverse confinement can be achieved by fixing steel elements perpendicular to the wall. This confinement technique is often part of a more comprehensive rehabilitation solution, which includes the application of mortar or concrete reinforced layers applied to the wall surface.

This article presents results of an experimental research on material properties and mechanical characterisation of stone masonry specimens strengthened by two transverse confinement solutions (independent steel reinforcing rods and continuous steel ribbons wrapping the specimen). Specimens were tested under compression and compression and shear loadings.

This experimental work is part of a major research project to study the mechanical behavior of URM and strengthened walls, and the characteristics of the building materials of such specimens.     

Migrations and the Rise of African Lisbon: Time-Space of Portuguese (Post)coloniality

Portugal is arguably the European nation with the longest experience with “colonialism” in a variety of configurations, historical moments, and geographical contexts. Yet, given its perennially peripheral status from a geopolitical and economic standpoint, the Portuguese (post-)colonial experience has not been an object of attention outside of the field of Lusophone Studies. This essay provides a brief historical overview to understand the breadth and depth of the Portuguese (post)colonial experience; offers a conceptual map of Portuguese postcoloniality where ideologies of affect and exceptionalism such as Lusotropicalism play a key role; highlights the centrality of immigration for an understanding of Portuguese society — particularly African immigration and its nexus with the history of colonialism and racism that reverberates in national debates around race, ethnicity, and interculturality; provides a brief account of the rise of an Afro-Portuguese culture; and presents short readings of Portuguese cinematic texts that exemplify ethical and aesthetic praxes bringing marginalized black subjects to the center of representation in the quest for social and cultural citizenship.     

Rubble Stone Masonry Walls Strengthened by Three-Dimensional Steel Ties and Textile-Reinforced Mortar Render,Under Compression and Shear Loads

This article addresses the results of a structural strengthening solution for rubble stone masonry walls. The strengthening includes inserting three-dimensional steel ties across the thickness of the walls and a 30-mm layer of air-lime and cement mortar render reinforced with glass fiber mesh (textile-reinforced mortar), on both sides of the wall. The strengthening solution was found to be efficient for rehabilitating ancient rubble stone masonry walls due to the “three-dimensional” confinement, provided by the steel wires, by offsetting the low cohesive capacity of the mortar used in the walls and thus improving the mechanical resistance and delaying the collapse mechanisms. This study is part of an experimental research program carried out in Universidade Nova de Lisboa, to evaluate structural strengthening solutions for ancient rubble stone masonry buildings. To this end, three specimens of rubble stone masonry walls without strengthening (unreinforced masonry) and other three, with the mentioned strengthening solution, were subjected to compression and shear load tests. Building materials were also tested in order to characterize physical, chemical and mechanical properties.     

Book reviews

Karl Kaiser, Winston Lord, Thierry de Montbrial, David Watt, Western Security: What Has Changed? What Should be Done? Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. (New York) and Royal Institute of International Affairs (London), 1981, pp. 48. No price given.

Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, The Political Economy of Human Rights. Two volumes, Black Rose Books, Montreal, 1979. Volume I, The Washington Connection and Third World Facism, pp. xvii + 441; Volume II, After the Cataclysm: Postwar Indochina and the Reconstruction of Imperial Hegemony, pp. xx + 392.

Vanuatu. Institute of Pacific Studies, The University of the South Pacific and The South Pacific Social Sciences Association, 1980, pp. 291. $Fiji4.50

Walter Lini, Beyond Pandemonium. From the New Hebrides to Vanuatu. Asia Pacific Books, Wellington in association with the Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, 1980, pp. 64. $NZ6.95 (cloth), $NZ4.50 (paper).

Jeremy MacClancy, To Kill a Bird with Two Stones. A Short History of Vanuatu. Vanuatu Cultural Centre Publications No. 1, 1980, pp. 158. 300 Vatu (plus postage).

Richard Shears, The Coconut War. The Crisis on Espiritu Santo. Cassell Australia, North Ryde, pp. 210. $6.95.

G. J. Crough, Foreign Investment and Transnational Corporations in Australia: An Annotated Bibliography. Alternative Publishing Co‐operative, Sydney, 1977, pp. xiii + 200. $14.95.

Michael T. Skully (ed.), A Multinational Look at the Transnational Corporation: An International Collection of Academic and Corporate Views on the Future of Transnational Enterprise. Dryden Press Australia, Sydney, 1978, pp. iv + 278. $24.95.

Francien van Anrooij et al., Between People and Statistics: Essays on Modern Indonesian History. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1979, pp. 315. D.fl.39.50

Michael Brecher, with Benjamin Geist, Decisions in Crisis. Israel. 1967 and 1973. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1980, pp. xvii + 479. $34.95.

Desmond Ball, A Suitable Piece of Real Estate: American Installations in Australia. Hale and Iremonger, Sydney, 1980, pp. 180. $19.95 (cloth), $10.95 (paper).

W. J. Hudson, Billy Hughes in Paris. The Birth of Australian Diplomacy. Nelson in association with the Australian Institute of International Affairs, Melbourne, 1978, pp. 147. $8.95.

Charles R. Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations. Princeton University Press, 1979, pp. 199. $US21.00 (cloth), $US5.00 (paper).

J. H. Leurdijk (ed.), The Foreign Policy of the Netherlands, Sijthoff and Noordhoff, Alphen aan den Rijn, 1978, pp. ix + 356. D.Fl.85.00.

Shashikant Nair, Rural‐born Fijians and Indo‐Fijians in Suva: A Study of Movements and Linkages. Development Studies Centre, Monograph No. 24, The Australian National University, Canberra, 1980, pp. 97. $8.00.

Goran Hyden. Beyond Ujamaa in Tanzania: Underdevelopment and an Uncaptured Peasantry Heineman Education Books, London, 1980, pp. 270. £3.50.

Elizabeth Vallance, Women in the House: A Study of Women Members of Parliament, Athlone Press, London, 1979, pp. 212. $9.70.

G. H. Jansen, Militant Islam, Pan Books Ltd, 1979, pp. 224. $4.25.

David Elliott, Thailand: Origins of Military Rule, Zed Press, London, 1978, pp. 190 £5.95 (cloth), £2.95 (paper).

Joseph A. Camilleri, Australian‐American Relations: The Web of Dependence, Macmillan, Melbourne, 1980, pp. 167, $29.95 (cloth), $9.95 (paper).

Ross Terrill, Mao: A Biography. Harper and Row, New York, 1980, pp. 481. $19.95