Dinâmica e relevância das comissões permanentes no legislativo municipal: estudo do caso da Câmara Municipal de São João del Rei

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the dynamics and relevance of permanent committees in the municipal legislature, focusing on the Municipal Chamber of São João del Rei, through the lens of neo-institutionalism, contributing to the understanding of the role of local institutions in subnational contexts. This is a descriptive and exploratory case study based on a non-probabilistic and qualitative sample, covering the time period from 1990 to 2024, with an emphasis on the 2017 to 2024 legislative terms. The results indicate that, although the committees play a formally relevant role in the Municipal Chamber of São João del Rei, there is a markedly centralized structure, weak committee performance, and strong incentives for individual actions by councilors. Nevertheless, there are significant documented actions, especially led by opposition members, which align with the findings in the literature. The originality lies in exploring the functioning of committees in a mid-sized municipality and contributing to the understanding of political dynamics in municipal chambers. In terms of practical contributions, it has potential impacts in the organizational and public policy areas, as it reveals the need for restructuring the committees and enhancing technical capacity, which can boost local legislative performance.