Heads of list in the Portuguese legislative elections: localness or public visibility?

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which personal characteristics of heads of lists differ from those of all other candidates. It draws upon an original dataset on the candidates to the Portuguese Parliament in five parliamentary elections between 1983 and 2009. The results reveal that candidates with public visibility – famous politicians, public figures, and candidates with more parliamentary experience – have a greater probability of being placed in the top positions of the lists than candidates having a prominent local profile. This pattern does not vary significantly when we consider district magnitude, type of party, or the amount of time since democratization.