Brazil's Legislative Voting: Ideology vs Government Influence

Political disagreement can manifest through multiple dimensions beyond simple ideology or government pressures. This study introduces an approach to hierarchically identify ideological versus nonideological motivations in voting behavior using auxiliary data.

We applied this method to Brazilian legislative politics, analyzing survey responses from legislators over eight presidential-legislative periods spanning more than two decades.

Our findings reveal a distinct "government-opposition" dimension that appears separate from the traditional left-right ideology axis. This suggests political conflict arises significantly from the president's control of resources rather than just ideological differences.

📊 Data & Methods:

• Anonymous survey data from Brazilian legislators serving during specific periods
• Hierarchical identification approach using auxiliary information

🔍 Key Findings:

• A clear government-opposition dimension exists
• Party positions help identify this separate political axis
• Shifts in governing coalitions correspond to changes along this nonideological dimension

💡 Why It Matters:

This research shows that resource control by the president is a crucial factor shaping legislative behavior, sometimes outweighing ideological considerations. The methodology offers a way for scholars elsewhere to untangle complex influences on voting patterns.