Local governism: Executive-Legislative relations in municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais

Abstract

This article investigates the tendency of the local councilors to support the mayor and to pass the bills enacted by the municipal Executive without further considerations, usually called in Brazil as “governismo”. It also investigates the incentives for this behavior and the strategies mobilized by the mayors to build support in the local council. The analysis was based on an unprecedented set of data resulting from a survey conducted with a sample of local councilors in Minas Gerais. The evidence gathered shows that the “governismo” is far less widespread than one might suppose and that there is an expressive number of councilors willing to remain in opposition and to mobilize executive oversight mechanisms. The article contributes to shed light on an aspect still little explored in the literature and to challenge the idea of a widespread subordination of city councilors to the mayors.

mayor; local councilor; local council; executive branch; accountability