This study is the first in a decade to provide an overview of banking in Brazil. It is argued that the big three federal banks have long provided essential policy alternatives and, since the liberalization of the industry in the 1990s, have realized competitive advantages over private and foreign banks.

Introduction; Chapter 1 Government Banking Theory; Chapter 2 Bank Change in Brazil; Chapter 3 The Banco do Brasil; Chapter 4 The Caixa Economica Federal (Federal Savings Bank); Chapter 5 The Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (National Bank for Economic and Social Development, BNDES); Chapter 6 Conclusion;