2006-07-09 papers

on Central and South America

Issue of 2006‒07‒09
two papers chosen by

Economic Polarisation in Latin America and the Caribbean: What do Household Surveys Tell Us? By Leonardo Gasparini; Matías Horenstein; Sergio Olivieri
Brazil’s Nuclear Policy. From Technological Dependence to Civil Nuclear Power By Daniel Flemes

Economic Polarisation in Latin America and the Caribbean: What do Household Surveys Tell Us?

By:	Leonardo Gasparini (Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales (CEDLAS) - Universidad Nacional de La Plata); Matías Horenstein (Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales (CEDLAS) - Universidad Nacional de La Plata); Sergio Olivieri (Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales (CEDLAS) - Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
Abstract:	This document presents and discusses an extensive set of statistics aimed at characterizing the degree of economic polarisation in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. The study is based on a dataset of household surveys from 21 LAC countries in the period 1989-2004. Latin America is characterised by a high level of economic polarisation, compared to other regions in the world. On average, income polarisation has mildly increased in the region since the early 1990s. The country experiences in terms of income polarisation, however, have been heterogeneous. The region has moved forward toward the reduction of educational inequalities, while the gaps between the rich and the poor in terms of access to basic services (water and electricity) have been reduced.
Keywords:	polarisation, cohesion, inequality, Latin America, Caribbean
JEL:	I3 D3 D6
Date:	2006–07
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dls:wpaper:0038&r=lam

Brazil’s Nuclear Policy. From Technological Dependence to Civil Nuclear Power

By:	Daniel Flemes (GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies)
Abstract:	Since March 2006 Brazil has been the ninth country to control the full nuclear fuel cycle. While the U.S. government bashes the uranium enrichment activities in Iran, it has come to an arrangement with the uranium enrichment in its backyard after transitional diplomatic tensions. As signer of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Brazil has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful use. This article focuses on the political motives and objectives connected with the domination of this key technology. Brasilia has been striving for regional leadership and participation in international decision making processes. In historical perspective the Brazilian enrichment procedure marks the liberation from the technological U.S. dependence. Brazil seems to be on the way to establish itself as a civil nuclear power in international relations.
Keywords:	Brazil, nuclear policy, uranium enrichment, Non-Proliferation Treaty, U.S. foreign policy
Date:	2006–06
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gig:wpaper:23&r=lam

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