The paper examines the function of the major Brazilian political parties in the selection process of candidates to the Chamber of Deputies. The authors argue that there is a relationship between the structure of party organizations and the control of political-party representation in Brazil, expressed in this article in the selection of candidates. They conclude that there are differences between the profiles of the candidates selected by their parties, which are related to differences in their recruitment procedures. However, such differences are reduced after the electoral process. The differences expressed in the profiles of the candidates selected by the parties do not remain after the elections, when there is a trend to a more uniform standard among the candidates elected.
Political parties; Political recruitment; Election to Chamber of Deputies; Selection process of candidates; Representative democracy
