Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 40 n. 3 Rio de Janeiro 1997
Abstract
A prominent question in recent comparative work is 'when will the personal vote matter?' Typically, scholars approach this question at a cross-national as opposed to a cross-party level: that is, they highlight features of national electoral systems that create incentives for individual politicians to pursue a personal (or a party) vote, rather than highlighting features of parties that might predispose candidates in those parties to pursue personal (or party) votes. Implicitly, the electoral-systems comparisons hold constant party features. In this paper, in contrast, I focus on the characteristics of parties, as opposed to the characteristics of electoral systems, as determinants of personal vote seeking. I argue that adoption of an individualistic or collective strategy depends largely on a partys access to and control over funding and patronage: generally, parties with good access to money and pork should adopt individualistic strategies, while parties with poor access to money and pork should adopt more collective strategies. In this paper, I explore the Brazilian case to test this claim. I test my claims at the national and district level, using multiple regression analysis. Furthermore, I explain how one party, the Workers Party (PT), has overcome the incentives of the electoral system over the long run
Keywords: electoral system, party vote, Workers Party (PT)
DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52581997000300008
Determinantes do Voto Partidário em Sistemas Eleitorais Centrados no Candidato: Evidências sobre o Brasil
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