Political careers of Chilean Deputies, 1989-2013: Evolution and implications for political representation
Abstract
This paper shows that the space for representation in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies has actually decreased since the 1989 founding election. After analyzing the political careers of elected deputies from the period 1989-2013, results show that legislators coming from political families are increasingly able to remain in politics, particularly developing what the literature refers to as progressive careers. The implications these findings relate to the overrepresentation of a political elite whose place in Chilean politics was solidified after the return of democracy in 1989. This, in turn, reduces options for emerging political alternatives, generating a disconnect between the electorate and politicians. If the chances for new candidates or new political alternatives reduce over time, the electorate will not be effectively represented in the legislature. In this sense, the results of this paper question the representative character of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies.Keywords:
Deputies, Political Careers, Elites, Chile.References
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Londregan, John (2000). Legislative Institutions and Ideology in Chile. Cambridge University Press.
Mainwaring, Scott (2006). “The Crisis of Representation in the Andes.” Journal of Democracy nol.17,nº3,pp.13-27.
Maira, Luis (2001). “El amarre institucional del General Pinochet y las restricciones de la transición chilena”. En Labastida, Julio y Antonio Camou. Globalización, identidad y democracia: México y América Latina. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ediciones.
Mayhew, David (1974). Congress: The Electoral Connection. Yale University Press, New Haven and London.
Morgenstern, Scott and Benito Nacif (eds.).(2002). Legislative Politics in Latin America. Cambridge University Press.
Morgenstern, Scott and Peter Siavelis (2008). Pathways to Power. Political recruitment and candidate selection in Latin America.The Pennsylvania State University Press.
Navia, Patricio (2003). “You Select the Rules of the Game and Lose? Advantages and Constraints When Choosing Electoral Rules: The Case of Chile.” Ph.D. dissertation, New York University.
Navia, Patricio (2008). “Legislative Candidate Selection in Chile”, en Peter Siavelis and Scott Morgenstern. (eds.) Pathways to Power: Political Recruitment and Candidate Selection in Latin America. University Park, PA, Penn State Press.
Polsby, Nelson (1968). “The Institutionalization of the House of Representatives.” American Political Science Review vol.62,nº1.pp.144–68.
Schlesinger, Joseph A. (1966). Ambition and Politics: Political Careers in the United States. Chicago: Rand McNally.
Siavelis, Peter (1997). “Executive-Legislative relations in post-Pinochet Chile: A preliminary assessment”. En Mainwaring, Scott y Matthew Soberg Shugart (eds.). Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America. Cambridge University Press.
Siavelis, Peter (2002). “Coalitions, Voters and Party System Transformation in Post- Authoritarian Chile,” Government and Opposition, vol. 37,nº1.pp. 76-105.
Siavelis, Peter (2005a). “Chile: The Unexpected (and Expected) Consequences of Electoral Engineering,” in Michael Gallagher and Paul Mitchell (eds.). The Politics of Electoral Systems. London: Oxford University Press.
Siavelis, Peter (2005b). “La lógica oculta de la selección de candidatos en las elecciones parlamentarias chilenas”. Estudios Públicos nº 98. pp. 189-225.
Botero, Felipe (2008). “Ambitious Career-Seekers: An Analysis of Career Decisions and Duration in Latin America”. Ph.D. dissertation,The University of Arizona.
Botero, Felipe (2011). “Carreras políticas en América Latina. Discusión teórica y ajuste de supuestos”. PostData vol.16, nº2, pp. 167-187.
Carey, John and Matthew Soberg Shugart (1995). “Incentives to Cultivate a Personal Vote: a Rank Ordering of Electoral Formulas”. Electoral Studies, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 417-439
Carey, John and Peter Siavelis (2006). “Election Insurance and Coalition Survival”.En Gretchen Helmke and Steven Levitsky, (eds). Informal Institutions and Democracy: Lessons from Latin America. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Diamond, Larry and Leonardo Morlino (2005). Assessing the Quality of Democracy. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Erikson, Robert S. (1971).“The advantage of incumbency in Congressional elections”. Polity, vol.3, nº3,pp. 395-405.
Fiorina, Morris (1978). Retrospective Voting in American National Elections. Yale University Press. Hain, Paul (1974). “Age, Ambitions, and Political Careers: The Middle-Age Crisis.” The Western Political Quarterly, vol. 27, nº2, pp. 265-274.
Harrington, Joseph (1998). “Progressive ambition, electoral selection, and the creation of ideologues.”Work document,The Johns Hopkins University. Available in http://www.econ.jhu.edu/people/Harrington/electournament.pdf
Herrick, Rebekah and Michael K. Moore (1993). “Political Ambition’s Effect on Legislative Behavior: Schlesinger’s Typology Reconsidered and Revisited.” The Journal of Politics, vol. 55, nº 3, pp. 765-776.
Londregan, John (2000). Legislative Institutions and Ideology in Chile. Cambridge University Press.
Mainwaring, Scott (2006). “The Crisis of Representation in the Andes.” Journal of Democracy nol.17,nº3,pp.13-27.
Maira, Luis (2001). “El amarre institucional del General Pinochet y las restricciones de la transición chilena”. En Labastida, Julio y Antonio Camou. Globalización, identidad y democracia: México y América Latina. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ediciones.
Mayhew, David (1974). Congress: The Electoral Connection. Yale University Press, New Haven and London.
Morgenstern, Scott and Benito Nacif (eds.).(2002). Legislative Politics in Latin America. Cambridge University Press.
Morgenstern, Scott and Peter Siavelis (2008). Pathways to Power. Political recruitment and candidate selection in Latin America.The Pennsylvania State University Press.
Navia, Patricio (2003). “You Select the Rules of the Game and Lose? Advantages and Constraints When Choosing Electoral Rules: The Case of Chile.” Ph.D. dissertation, New York University.
Navia, Patricio (2008). “Legislative Candidate Selection in Chile”, en Peter Siavelis and Scott Morgenstern. (eds.) Pathways to Power: Political Recruitment and Candidate Selection in Latin America. University Park, PA, Penn State Press.
Polsby, Nelson (1968). “The Institutionalization of the House of Representatives.” American Political Science Review vol.62,nº1.pp.144–68.
Schlesinger, Joseph A. (1966). Ambition and Politics: Political Careers in the United States. Chicago: Rand McNally.
Siavelis, Peter (1997). “Executive-Legislative relations in post-Pinochet Chile: A preliminary assessment”. En Mainwaring, Scott y Matthew Soberg Shugart (eds.). Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America. Cambridge University Press.
Siavelis, Peter (2002). “Coalitions, Voters and Party System Transformation in Post- Authoritarian Chile,” Government and Opposition, vol. 37,nº1.pp. 76-105.
Siavelis, Peter (2005a). “Chile: The Unexpected (and Expected) Consequences of Electoral Engineering,” in Michael Gallagher and Paul Mitchell (eds.). The Politics of Electoral Systems. London: Oxford University Press.
Siavelis, Peter (2005b). “La lógica oculta de la selección de candidatos en las elecciones parlamentarias chilenas”. Estudios Públicos nº 98. pp. 189-225.
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