1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910784412103321

Autore

Samuels David <1967->

Titolo

Ambition, federalism, and legislative politics in Brazil / / David Samuels

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2003

ISBN

1-107-13455-2

1-280-42010-3

1-139-14840-0

0-511-18076-4

0-511-06104-8

0-511-05471-8

0-511-33105-3

0-511-51036-5

0-511-06950-2

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xvi, 248 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Disciplina

320.981

Soggetti

Federal government - Brazil - History - 20th century

Legislators - Brazil - Attitudes

Ambition

Legislative power - Brazil

Politics, Practical - Brazil

Rational choice theory

Brazil Politics and government 20th century

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-240) and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

Part I. Section 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 brazilian 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. Section II: 6. On the political (in)efficacy of pork-barreling in the Brazilian congress -- 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.

Sommario/riassunto

Ambition theory suggests that scholars can understand a good deal about politics by exploring politicians' career goals. In the USA, an enormous literature explains congressional politics by assuming that politicians primarily desire to win re-election. In contrast, although Brazil's institutions appear to encourage incumbency, politicians do not seek to build a career within the legislature. Instead, political ambition focuses on the subnational level. Even while serving in the legislature, Brazilian legislators act strategically to further their future extra-legislative careers by serving as 'ambassadors' of subnational governments. Brazil's federal institutions also affect politicians' electoral prospects and career goals, heightening the importance of subnational interests in the lower chamber of the national legislature. Together, ambition and federalism help explain important dynamics of executive-legislative relations in Brazil. This book's rational-choice institutionalist perspective contributes to the literature on the importance of federalism and subnational politics to understanding national-level politics around the world.