Peeking Behind the Arches

An Examination of Diplomats' Party Affiliations and Candidacies in Brazil

Bibliographic Data

ID5858799
AuthorsVinicius Silva Santos (0000-0003-0907-7832, Federal Senate)
Year2025
Volume47
Issue2
Publication date2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueContexto Internacional (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0102-8529 • E-ISSN: 1982-0240
PublisherFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/s0102-8529.20254701e20230020
OpenAlexW4413279329
SCIELO_PIDS0102-85292025000200200
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited36

This article explores the intricate dynamics between Brazilian diplomats and political parties within the realm of foreign policy. Our central research problem is to uncover how the interplay of the party system's structure, the attributes and ideologies of political parties, and the aspirations of bureaucrats collectively influence the extent of diplomats' involvement in formal party-political activities. Despite the growing attention to partisanship in Brazilian foreign policy debate, empirical research and methodological approaches to measure the concept are limited. The construct validity of the term is often confused with ideologization and politicization. Moreover, the involvement of Brazilian bureaucrats in party politics lacks comprehensive investigation. To address these gaps, this study examines the relationship between diplomats and political parties, uncovering its multifaceted dimensions and implications. Using a novel data source, we explore diplomats' affiliations and candidacies, shedding light on interaction patterns during the Nova República period. We present a set of hypotheses investigating the association between diplomats' party affiliations and their interactions with a) party ideologies (H1) and b) professional ambitions, delineated into i) intra-bureaucratic advantages (H2.1) and ii) political career aspirations (H2.2). By employing a mixed methods approach, incorporating thematic content analysis, descriptive statistics, and hypothesis testing, we aggregated evidence that substantiates hypotheses H1 and H2.2. However, in the case of H2.1, the findings proved inconclusive, prompting the need for further exploration into the topic

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