EN :

The empirical study of international conflicts has in the last two decades undergone a remarkable development. Careful examination of results so far obtained can however only produce feelings of dissatisfaction. The few correlations uncovered are usually so limited in scope that it is difficult to draw any conclusions whatsoever from them.

This essay first of all suggests certain possible developments for empirical research, especially in areas which have been most neglected. The author goes on to show that the road on which such works are embarked, no matter how interesting, contains radical limits which can only invalidate the claims of practitioners of the empirical analysis of international conflicts to an elaboration of a truly explanatory theory. It will only be possible to discover explanatory elements if one undertakes a theoretical leap consisting in reorienting the study of international conflicts. The broad outlines of such a theoretical reorientation are described in the last part of the essay.

EN :

Taking into account recent policy analysis and evaluation theories which have been rarely applied international relations up till now, we attempted to construct a framework which we used to evaluate France-Quebec policies of cooperation in the field of education. Having identified the objectives of this cooperation, we verified wether these objectives were attained through the programme of integrated projects in education. Concerning the objective of creating international links it appears that it was realized when the programme was elaborated; however, the programme increases and officializes the exchanges, without that the Federal government intervenes, and leaves to the Quebec government the ability to impose its priorities. The integrated projects do not balance American influence, as it was the intention. The objectif of promotion of French language is partially realized through the publication of articles in French or the Frenchization of the bibliographies ; but the programme results in a perverse effect when French and Quebecer researchers publish jointly in English. The academic cooperation did not favorize teaching improvement of Quebecer professors, as it was an objective; however, it favorized research development. The results were partially attained, because this policy began without any study of the situation.

EN :

In the Third World, the Energy Crisis of 1973 emphasized the vulnerability of certain large oil-importing countries engagea in an extensive process of industrialization. As the multinational-dominated automobile industry represented the core of the recent industrializing profile in Brazil, the end of Growth meant a direct threat to its future development as an energy-consuming economic sector. A powerful lobby was then activated to intervene on the side of the State and the national bourgeoisie. The latter was putting forward the PRO-ALCOOL program in the Mid-Seventies, as a response to the new challenge. An alliance with the car industry was made possible when the State withdrew from a tradition of direct involvment in Energy (exemplified by PETROBRAS), to enhance the private sector. Such a neo-liberal strategy in oil-substitution would be aimed at a potentially unlimited market in South America and the Carribean for alcohol-powered cars, while being essentially dependent upon the performance of its participants : the national bourgeoisie engagea in agro-business, and the automobile industry.

In the light of recent findings from a research conducted in Brazil, the author recognized the originality of this internationalizing strategy, in the context of regional market integration. However, given its neo-liberal nature, it is not surprising that controls (of costs and quality) remained largely ineffective. Further structural limitations, such as technological deficiencies caused by inadequate R & D activities, uneasy relations among actors, especially among multinational corporations themselves, and a lack of private funding (to be related to the deep crisis in Latin America) delayed the implementation of the program in its original conception. Although reluctant to the introduction of new competitors, especially from Japan, the multinational could be forced into a new alliance that goes far beyond the actual loose formula, if they want the PRO-ALCOHOL program to be reactivated in the near future.