The State and industrialisation in Portugal, 1945-1990

Abstract

The article seeks to provide an overview of the development of Portuguese economic policy, and the development of the Portuguese economy, over the period from the end of the Second World War to the present day. The intention of the article is not to provide new information, as the facts contained are well known, but to put such information into a historical perspective over a period which is not normally studied as a whole. As a review of existing knowledge, the article does not seek to present conclusions on the causes of the pace of and fluctuations in economic growth of Portugal. Instead, it seeks to highlight aspects present throughout the period under study, during which the country underwent significant political and economic changes. By observing these permanent aspects the article arrives at the conclusion that the importance of economic policy in explaining economic growth and fluctuations in growth is less than the sources consulted suggest.