Responsiveness and parliamentary communication: about a study of Brazilian federal deputies

Abstract:

This study delves into the association between the specific attributes of federal legislators and their level of responsiveness in communicating with citizens via email. The research encompassed a survey of 125 federal deputies who took part in an experiment, with cross-tabulation tests employed to examine the correlation between responsiveness levels and the characteristics of the legislators. We found that the most responsive legislators could be broadly characterized (by frequency of occurrence) as men serving their first term as federal deputies, aged over 50, possessing a complete college education, from the southeast region (particularly São Paulo), affiliated with a representative party in the House of Representatives, and advocating for the interests of businesses, family members, and unions. The implications of these findings suggest a growing disconnection between the population and the House of Representatives, potentially compromising the credibility of the institution and the democratic process as a whole.

Keywords:
responsiveness; legislative power; democratic communication; federal deputy