Collectivizing political mandates: A discursive approach to the Brazilian Bancada Ativista’s campaign in the 2018 elections

Abstract

This article analyses the political campaign of the rather under-researched Bancada Ativista, a prefigurative progressive experience comprised of nine co-candidates running for a single seat in the State Chamber of Sao Paulo during the 2018 Brazilian elections. The political experience brought about by the Bancada Ativista stands as a prolific effort in its aim to transform legislative action, responding to the challenges posed by the contemporary crisis of representative democracy. By taking the Essex School’s discourse theory standpoint, this article critically explores the discursive composition of the Bancada’s political campaign and the significance of its electoral success in light of crisis-driven Brazilian politics.