The Poulantzas Brasil website brings together a group of researchers dedicated to analysing contemporary Brazilian politics and to analysing and developing Marxist political theory. The work of the Greek-French Marxist Nicos Poulantzas is our main theoretical reference. Our research practice sees these two work fronts, empirical research and theoretical research, as linked and complementary activities: theory guides the work of empirical research and this, in turn, can raise new questions for the theory it uses, stimulating its renewal and development. We use various research techniques and sources that are compatible with the theory and the objects of study of our work.

Our activity as a collective of researchers began in 1999, when we created the Research Group entitled “Neoliberalism and class relations in Brazil”, which has been active ever since and is duly registered with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). We conceived and developed three major collective research projects: “Politics and social classes in neoliberal capitalism”, sponsored by Fapesp; “Neoliberal globalisation, politics and social conflicts in Brazil and France”, sponsored by the Capes-Cofecub agreement; and “The political crisis, the new right, the state and class conflicts in Brazil”, sponsored by CNPq. The aim of the Poulantzas Brasil website is to make the results of our work available to a wider audience.