This article examines the successes and limits of the macroeconomic and fiscal reforms under the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Administration in Brazil. The author begins by studying factors that contributed to macroeconomic difficulties prior to 1995, then proceeds to examine how the Real Plan enabled the Cardoso Administration to control interference by State Governors in the national economy. The article then describes how former President Cardoso's policies generated the current ''fiscal straitjacket'' in Brazil, and concludes by discussing how the Cardoso government's legacy may continue to constrain action by future Brazilian Administrations.