Brazil’s National Power Evolution and Geostructural Positioning
Publisher
Springer Nature Singapore
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Ruvalcaba, Daniel Morales
Apango Partida, Mónica
Type
text::book::book part
Abstract
This chapter examines Brazil’s national power’s evolution and geostructural positioning in the international system since the end of the Cold War. From a methodological perspective, a theoretical approach is adopted, conceptualising national-international power as a multidimensional, dynamic, and recursive combination of capacities. The analysis is based on the use of the World Power Index (WPI), a quantitative tool that allows for the measurement and comparison of Brazil’s power over time, providing an empirical basis for understanding its trajectory. Within this framework, the material, semimaterial, and immaterial capacities that have defined the configuration of its national power are assessed. The chapter is organised into four main sections. The first provides a historical review of Brazil’s national power, contextualising its position as a semiperipheral country in the global system. The second analyses the evolution of Brazilian power since the end of the Cold War, identifying a cycle characterised by short phases of rise and decline (1990–2002), a prolonged phase of emerging consolidation (2003–2011), and, subsequently, a sustained period of decline that began in 2012 and started to reverse from 2021 onward. The third section presents a diachronic analysis of Brazil’s material, semimaterial, and immaterial capacities. Finally, the fourth section examines its geostructural positioning at both regional and global levels, exploring its main roles as a regional power with global aspirations. The academic importance of this chapter lies in its innovative analysis of Brazil’s national power, which combines a historical and quantitative approach with a comprehensive perspective on power. This approach enables an understanding of how Brazil has balanced its regional leadership with its insertion into the international system while transiting cycles of rise and decline in its national power.
License
Acceso Restringido.
URL License
How to cite
Ruvalcaba, D.M., Apango Partida, M. (2025). Brazil’s National Power Evolution and Geostructural Positioning. In: Leandro, F.J.B.S., Frogeri, R.F., Li, Y., Garcia, F.P., Silva, A.R.d.A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook on Geopolitics of Brazil and the South Atlantic. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-1169-3_12