Electoral Brokers in Brazilian Politics: Novel Perspectives on a Familiar Figure.

• Grant number: 23/14567-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - Political Behavior
• Principal Investigator: George Avelino Filho
• Grantee: Tiago Peterlevitz
• Host Institution: Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (EAESP). Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/27645-8 - Electoral strategies and public policies: what is the importance of municipalities?, AP.TEM

Abstract

According to the dominant asymmetric information models in the literature on clientelism, political parties often lack comprehensive knowledge about individual voters. Consequently, they rely on intermediaries, commonly referred to as brokers, to bridge this informational gap. Nevertheless, recent studies have raised questions regarding the ability of these models to adequately account for the diverse manifestations of clientelistic activities. Given Brazil's notable reliance on such brokers and the wealth of data available about them, the country presents a unique opportunity to delve into the role of intermediaries in political mobilization. The primary objective of this project is to leverage the Brazilian context to empirically assess the assumptions of asymmetric information models, employing a multifaceted approach that combines observational and experimental analyses. To achieve this, the project will undertake the construction of a comprehensive database based on campaign expenses submitted by political candidates. This database will include critical information such as the names of brokers, their remuneration, and the specific activities they undertake. The observational analyses conducted on these data will offer insights into whether the characteristics of Brazilian brokers align with the assumptions inherent in asymmetric information models. Additionally, survey experiments will be employed to investigate which broker characteristics are most valued by different political actors. We expect that the study of the Brazilian case can significantly advance theoretical knowledge about the role of brokers in political mobilization.