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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Samuels, David, 1967- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Federal government--Brazil--History--20th century.

Federal government.

Legislators--Brazil--Attitudes.

Legislators.

Ambition.

Legislative power--Brazil.

Legislative power.

Politics, Practical--Brazil.

Politics, Practical.

Rational choice theory.

Brazil--Politics and government--20th century.

Brazil.

Physical Description:

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

Other Title:

Ambition, Federalism, & Legislative Politics in Brazil

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

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.

Notes:

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

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

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

OCLC:

475924497