Targeted Legislative Behavior and Progressive Ambition: Evidence from Chile

• In Event: Representation in Comparative Legislative Politics

Abstract

Ambitious legislators utilize several instruments to further their political careers. In countries where the personal vote is important, they tend to engage in various vote-seeking activities targeted to their electoral constituencies. One such activity involves asking to the executive questions that reflect the interest of their voters. Parliamentary questions have been studied more thoroughly in parliamentary countries, but they also matter in presidential systems. We examine written parliamentary questions in Chile for a period covering more than two decades to uncover how legislators ask questions not only to appear responsive to voters in their current district, but also to target prospective voters when they seek higher office in a differently bounded district. Our work illuminates how Chilean legislators, despite operating in a centralized system that precludes particularistic legislation, still engage in activities that enhance their personal reputation.

Authors

• Juan Pablo Micozzi, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico

• Eduardo Aleman, University of Houston