Jorge Braga de Macedo as an economic historian : the transition of the Portuguese economy from the authoritarian to the democratic period (1960-1979)

Despite not being an economic historian, Jorge Braga de Macedo has delved into economic history, with very favorable results. This is illustrated in the current chapter, which analyzes Braga de Macedo’s contribution to the understanding of the Portuguese economy’s transition from authoritarianism to democracy. To be sure, Braga de Macedo’s analysis has not only enriched our understanding of the transition period itself but also that of the authoritarian and democratic periods. This chapter discusses four of Braga de Macedo’s pioneering articles and shows how these contributed to our current knowledge of three fundamental Portuguese economic issues, namely: economic growth, openness and connection with other European economies between the 1960s and 1980s.