What effects have renovation currents had on the professionalization of federal representatives? Starting from the assumption that organizations need time and a favorable environment for their institutionalization, this article tests the hypothesis that the internal organization of the House of Representatives adopts institutional criteria that block the entrance of outsiders. Empirically, we believe that those who occupy commanding positions (party leadership, executive board, commission presidency) are more professionalized than ordinary representatives. In methodological terms, we use descriptive statistics, factorial analysis of major components and means tests to estimate the degree to which professionalization varies from group to group. . Our results suggest that those who occupy major leadership positions present a degree of professionalization that is significantly higher than that of ordinary representatives.
Brazilian House of Representatives; Professionalization; Institutionalization
