Ambition, Federalism, and Legislative Politics in Brazil

This book explores how political institutions and politicians' career goals interact. In the US House of Representatives, members seek to win repeated reelection, and political scientists have assumed that reelection motivates politicians everywhere. However, politicians in Brazil see the national legislature as a stepping-stone to "higher" office, in state and/or local government. Making the right assumption about politicians' career goals will help us better understand political processes. This book improves on previous "rational choice" analyses by researching politicians' career objectives and exploring the real-world implications of different career structures