The article discusses the relationship between, on the one hand, the interests of class and class fractions present in Brazilian society and on the other hand, the political economic, social and foreign policy in governments Lula and Dilma Rousseff. The establishes a connection between the political and social classes, clashing thus institutionalists and neoelitistis theoretical orientations, that dominate the Brazilian political science; Besides, our analysis uses secondary and documentary sources. The main thesis is that, in the passage from FHC to Lula era, it was a change within the power bloc: the great international financial capital lost strength and big bourgeoisie Brazilian domestic ascended politically, leaning forward on a broad policy that covers inclusive classes. Governments Lula and Dilma did not break with the neoliberal capitalist model, but introduced major changes in the economy, in politics and international activities of the State Brazilian, as a result of the fraction of the capitalist class they represent and also as a result of the classes in which they support. This finding is important because most of the literature on the PT governments ignores the complex relationships of these governments with social class, and those analysts that come to treat these relationships ignore or overlook the importance of the big internal bourgeoisie in the current Brazilian policy.
Social classes; neo-developmentalism; foreign policy; Lula and Dilma