BRAZIL AT THE TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY - A LIB ERAL NATION

Liberalism is defined here as the principle that decentralization of e conomic decisionmaking is the organizational form which allows a socie ty to achieve greatest economic efficiency. Based on this definition, the article discusses the role of the state within a liberal society. It goes on to show how and why the principle of decentralization shoul d be modified in certain situations, allowing for centralizing interve ntion in individual decisions. Lastly, it lists some liberal policies that still need to be enacted in Brazil.