Ambition, Federalism, and Legislative Politics in Brazil
Ambition, Federalism, and Legislative Politics in Brazil
This book explores the interpretation of politicians' career goals. Members seek to win repeated reelection, in the U.S. House of Representatives and political scientists have assumed that reelection motivates politicians everywhere. However, politicians in Brazil see the national legislature as a stepping-stone to "higher" office, in state and/or local government. Making the right assumption about politicians' career goals results in a better understanding of the political processes. This book improves on previous "rational choice" analyses by researching political career objectives and exploring real-world implications.
- Rational-choice institutionalism
- Federalism and Brazilian politics
- Political ambition
Reviews & endorsements
"Recommended."
Choice
"[Makes] an original argument ... by combining a study of legislative politics with the study of federalism ... [Samuels] provides the reader with a well-articulated and fairly comprehensive tour of contemporary Brazilian politics."
The Americas
Product details
November 2006Paperback
9780521030625
268 pages
230 × 152 × 15 mm
0.414kg
5 b/w illus. 38 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- List of tables and figures
- Abbreviations and acronyms
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I:
- 1. Ambition theory and political careers in Brazil
- 2. In the absence of congressional careerism: short stints, flat hierarchies and low payoffs in the chamber of deputies
- 3. Progressive ambition and congressional 'hot seats' in Brazil, 1945–98
- 4. Labyrinths of power, Brazilian style: post-chamber political careers
- Part II:
- 5. The 'Gubematorial coattails effect': federalism and congressional elections in Brazil
- Part III:
- 6. On the political (in)efficacy of pork-barreling in the chamber of deputies
- 7. Progressive ambition, federalism and pork-barreling in Brazil
- 8. Institutions of their own design? democratization and fiscal decentralization in Brazil, 1975–95
- 9. The Cardoso administration and changes in Brazilian federalism
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- References
- Indexes.
