Content Analysis of Non-Lawmaking Speeches: Targeting Constituencies in Chile

• In Event: Speeches and Position Taking in a Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Non-lawmaking speeches offer legislators a valuable tool to connect with constituents and signal other political actors. While many legislatures in presidential countries offer settings dedicated to non-lawmaking speeches, analyses from chambers outside the US are scant. In this paper, we examine the content of non-lawmaking speeches delivered on the floor of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies between 1990 and 2014. We utilize computerized text analysis to evaluate a series of implications derived from institutional and electoral incentives, revealing individual differences in local targeting and partisan differences in policy topics. We show that electoral incentives, party positions, and constituency traits help to explain speech content.

Authors

• Eduardo Aleman, University of Houston

• Juan Pablo Micozzi, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico

• Sebastian Vallejo Vera, Tecnologico de Monterrey