Ideology or What? Legislative Behavior in Multiparty Presidential Settings

• DOI: 10.1017/s0022381609090896
• Publication Date: 2009-07-21T09:54:49Z
• Authors: Cesar Zucco
• Keywords: Cabinet (room)

In this paper I show that voting patterns of Brazilian legislators depart from their ideology in ways suggest the president plays an important role influencing behavior. Moreover, statistical analysis indicates influence is channeled through distribution pork and nominations to cabinet positions. Ideology not only fails fully explain legislative behavior observed since return democracy, but there evidence ideological has declined over time.