Pensando o Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The article discusses the economic rise and decline of the Rio de Janeiro province/state, highlighting its role as a key economic hub of the country until the late nineteenth century. As the twentieth century began, the state of São Paulo began to lead Brazil's economic growth, based on the so-called São Paulo coffee complex. However, the economic dynamism of Rio de Janeiro remained close to the national average until the 1960s.

In the 1970s, the state's economy entered a continuous process of losing dynamism, alongside a set of factors, including: a) the transfer of the capital to Brasília, without compensations for Rio de Janeiro; b) the lack of appropriate regional development strategies for the Rio de Janeiro and Fluminense territories; and c) the deep-rooted political culture of clientelism and patronage in Rio de Janeiro, which led to the progressive dismantling of the state’s public structure.

Based on specialized literature and the analysis of economic and social indicators for the state of Rio de Janeiro, it is argued that overcoming the current and long-standing socio-economic crisis in the Fluminense territory requires systematically studying the specificities of this state and its regions, with a focus on structuring the state's administrative and technical framework and building an integrated regional public policy for the Fluminense municipalities. This policy should identify their characteristics, potential, needs, and synergies, focusing on cooperation between regions and municipalities and achieving associated social benefits.