| Abstract: | This article examines the current nature of dependency in the context of global restructuring, where technological change in computers and telecommunications has made those sectors central for global economic competition. The Brazilian policy to promote computer manufacturing and software development, or informatics, is an example of a strategy to transform dependency in this context. This article examines the political and economic conditions that affected implementation of the Brazilian informatics policy after it became the object of a U.S. trade investigation in 1985. It identifies three sets of structural constraints on policy choices and outcomes: trade conflicts with the U.S. government, rapidly changing international product markets, and trade dependence. These constraints were found to persist, despite proficient and flexible political efforts to adapt to changing market conditions and manage ties with foreign capital. |
