BRAZIL AND THE MIDDLE-INCOME TRAP: HUMAN CAPITAL MISSALLOCATION, LEGAL HYPERTROPHY, AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO INNOVATION

Ronald Jean Degen

Todos os Trabalhos

Trabalho Completo

Resumo

DOI

10.29327/anais-idea.1489825

Título do Trabalho

BRAZIL AND THE MIDDLE-INCOME TRAP: HUMAN CAPITAL MISSALLOCATION, LEGAL HYPERTROPHY, AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO INNOVATION

Autores

Ronald Jean Degen

Modalidade

Artigo Científico

Área temática

Educação Empreendedora

Data de Publicação

17/06/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/anais-idea/1489825-brazil-and-the-middle-income-trap--human-capital-missallocation-legal-hypertrophy-and-structural-barriers-to-i

ISSN

3086-6693

Palavras-Chave

middle-income trap, human capital allocation, STEM education, legal systems, economic development, Brazil.

Resumo

Brazil has remained in the middle-income stage of development for more than four decades despite possessing vast natural resources, a large domestic market, and a relatively diversified economy. This article investigates the structural causes of Brazil’s persistent stagnation by examining the misallocation of human capital in higher education and the institutional consequences of a legalistic professional structure. Using comparative analysis with South Korea, China, the United States, and the European Union, the study argues that Brazil’s disproportionate production of legal professionals relative to engineers reflects a deeper systemic bias toward distributive rather than productive economic activities. The article combines comparative institutional analysis, educational statistics, and economic theory to demonstrate how this imbalance contributes to low innovation capacity, limited technological upgrading, and reduced total factor productivity. The findings suggest that Brazil’s educational and institutional architecture reinforces a “litigation economy” rather than an “innovation economy,” thereby perpetuating the middle-income trap. Policy recommendations include restructuring incentives in higher education, strengthening STEM formation, and reforming legal and regulatory institutions that discourage productive investment.

Título do Evento: Congresso Internacional IDEA: Inovação, Diálogo e Experiências na Aprendizagem 2026
Título dos Anais do Evento: Anais do Congresso Internacional IDEA: Inovação, Diálogo e Experiências na Aprendizagem
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital
DOI

Como citar

DEGEN, Ronald Jean. BRAZIL AND THE MIDDLE-INCOME TRAP: HUMAN CAPITAL MISSALLOCATION, LEGAL HYPERTROPHY, AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO INNOVATION.. In: . Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/anais-idea/1489825-BRAZIL-AND-THE-MIDDLE-INCOME-TRAP--HUMAN-CAPITAL-MISSALLOCATION-LEGAL-HYPERTROPHY-AND-STRUCTURAL-BARRIERS-TO-I. Acesso em: 07/09/2026