Changing of Party Affiliations in the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil

The paper discusses a complex of issues related to phenomenon of “party migration”, i.e. the changing of party affiliation of deputies in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. The nature and impact of the phenomenon could not be explained by referring to individual political factors viewed in isolation. The paper describes and analyses the historical, institutional and behavioral context in which the party migration has become a common practice in Brazil. The destabilization of the Brazilian party system represented a crucial prerequisite for an extensive party migration. Since the mid 1980s Brazilian deputies have gained large capacities of maneuver among parties by changing their individual party affiliations. Within a destabilized party arrangement, due to generalized weakness of party – voters’ linkage and to the “liberal” legal framework, the risks of such a strategy have become minimal. Therefore, large numbers of Brazilian deputies have adopted the strategy of “party migration” in order to maximize their chances for successful political career.