Poder local na Paraíba durante a experiência democrática: política e relações de poder no município de Mamanguape (1947 – 1964)

Abstract

Based on the debates found in the minutes of both the Legislative Assembly of the State of Paraíba and in the Municipality of Mamanguape, we draw a perspective of analysis that observes how the disputes of political and economic power occurred from the two main political groups in the region of municipality of Mamanguape: the Lundgren family and the Fernandes de Lima family. In order to improve the analysis and distinguish which political group garnered more votes and thus perpetuated itself in power, we used the electoral data provided by the Regional Electoral Tribunal of Paraíba, and from there we elaborated tables that allowed us to visualize who and at which moment a certain political group demonstrated had greater success in the polls, and this meant having greater control over the votes of the local population. In order to do this, the concept of Political Culture helps us to understand how clientelistic and authoritarian practices disorganized in a democracy that became more and more desired, and at the same time that we visualized how the local political practices were given, we perceived that the democratic rhythm was not present in this political every day. Thus, this work seeks to understand how from the local political practices the democratic discourse defended by so many, became merely demagogic in a sphere of power dominated by patronage practices and by private agreements within the municipality of Mamanguape in the period between 1947 and 1964.