Assessing Democratic Brazil: Institutions, Traditional Politics and New Issues

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Despite its persistent socio-economic inequalities and political turbulence, Brazil continues its path to becoming a consolidated electoral democracy through a mix of continuity and change. Competitive elections with regular alternation of political forces in power at the national level coexist with traditional politics based on clientelism and the dominance of dynastic politicians at the local level. Like dynamics in other democracies, the recent rise to power of extreme-right anti-establishment politicians have strengthened allegations about structural fraud in the electoral system creating doubts about the legitimacy of elections among segments of the public. The dominance of the federal executive branch in budget allocations has been gradually weakened by a more active Congress, with uncertain consequences for public policies and policy-making. At the same time, the environmental agenda has turned into an important polarizing topic among voters, as international efforts to mitigate climate change are mobilized domestically by politicians of different strands. The papers in this panel mobilize different methodologies and data sources to investigate these dynamics.
Kasahara’s paper mobilizes data from a vignette survey experiment conducted in the Brazilian semi-arid zone to show how normative views about vote-buying are shaped by contextual factors. Rocha investigates how dynastic politicians in Brazil have a complex approach to public transparency initiatives, with some supporting transparency to signal a modernizing approach to government. Pereira et al mobilize experiments embedded in two survey waves conducted before and after the 2022 presidential elections to assess the nature of election fraud beliefs in Brazil. They explore the partisan divides in these beliefs and the influence of political elites. Cooperman et al. explore the fiscal phenomenon of year-end spending spikes in intergovernmental transfers by Brazilian federal government agencies. Their research scrutinizes the efficiency of discretionary policymaking in a context where the legislative branch has gradually increased its power in allocating intergovernmental transfers. Lastly, Calacino’s paper examines the effects of foreign pressure on Brazilian citizens' opinions about climate policies. It looks at how foreign aid and shaming influence attitudes towards various climate policies, revealing that these pressures can have polarizing effects and are perceived differently based on individual environmental priorities.
Together, these papers present a multifaceted view of Brazilian politics and society, highlighting the intricate and often contradictory forces at play. From the deeply rooted practices of vote-buying and political clientelism to the nuanced effects of international pressures on environmental policy, each study offers valuable insights into the challenges and dynamics shaping Brazilian democracy today.

Sub Unit

• Division 12: Comparative Politics of Developing Countries

Individual Presentations

• “Vote-Buying Is Wrong, but…”: Conditioning Vote-Buying Norms in Brazil - Yuri Kasahara, Oslo Metropolitan University

• Politics of YESS: Year-End Spending Spikes and Policymaking in Brazil - Alicia Dailey Cooperman, George Washington University; Lizandro Lui, FGV; Ismael Deus Marques, Independent Researcher

• Sincere or Opportunistic? Understanding Election Fraud Beliefs in Brazil - Nara Pavão, UFPE; Frederico Batista Pereira, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Natalia Salgado Bueno, Emory University; Felipe Nunes, UFMG; Valerie Wirtschafter, University of California, Los Angeles

• Familial Political Ties and Public Transparency - Virginia Rocha da Silva, European University Institute

• Aiding or Shaming in Climate Politics: Experimental Evidence from Brazil - Anthony Calacino, University of Oxford

Chair

• Kathryn Hochstetler LSE

Discussants

• Natalia Salgado Bueno Emory University

• Taylor C. Boas Boston University