Reading · Summer 2026 Reading from MIT
Constructing Economic Nationalisms in Brazil and India
By Jason Jackson, associate professor in political economy and urban planning in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Cambridge University Press · 2026
Conventional approaches cite India's leftist "socialism" and Brazil's right-wing authoritarianism to explain why India resisted foreign direct investment (FDI) while Brazil welcomed foreign firms. However, this ignores puzzling industry-level variation: India restricted FDI in auto manufacturing but allowed multinationals in oil, while Brazil welcomed foreign auto companies but prohibited FDI in oil. This book argues that FDI policies were shaped by contrasting colonial experiences that generated distinct economic nationalisms and patterns of industrialization in both countries.
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From Summer 2026 recommended reading from MIT (MIT News).
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