“Ainda tenho muita coisa pra fazer pela minha terra”: ambição política dos Deputados Estaduais do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

For what reasons do some State Deputies of Rio de Janeiro never try to run candidates for other positions after winning a seat in ALERJ? This dissertation seeks to investigate this concern. The main objective is to show that there are elements that need to be observed when discussing political ambition in Brazil: political group and doubles. It is evident in this work that there are three defining elements for the choice of these State Deputies for reelection. The first is the fact that they already participate in political groups that already have Federal Deputies and a well-established hierarchy. The second is that, through the doubles, they work as minimizers of uncertainties for Federal Deputies in the transfer of votes. The third is that either they have very geographically concentrated votes – which makes expansion difficult – or they have spaced and small votes, an element that, in both cases, makes it impossible to raise a competitive candidacy to the Chamber of Deputies. The work shows that the concepts of political group and double are necessary to discuss political ambition in Brazil from the case study of State Deputies of Rio de Janeiro.