BUSINESSMEN ON THE JOINVILLE CITY COUNCIL: PROFILE AND PARTICIPATION

Abstract

The purpose of this study lies in investigating the profile and performance of businesspeople who occupy councilor seats on the Sustainable Development Council of the city of Joinville (SC), also known as the City Council. It is a participatory institution for urban planning management, which features the election of citizens from different segments to assist in the discussion of public policies. Even though it is not a deliberative entity, the participation of businesspeople suggests that they value this space of democratic management. Sociographic data was collected from the councilors, considering occupational variables and their performance on the council over two terms (2017-2022). The study identified the predominance of businesspeople in the construction and real estate brokerage sectors, in addition to the presence of businesspeople in other segments of the council (such as NGOs and academic entities), elected by bodies that are close to other business representations. These findings suggest the possibility of expanding the business community's voting power beyond the intended institutional design, suggesting that this element could be the subject of attention for the development and evaluation of public policies in this field. Other methodological approaches can contribute to a more in-depth understanding of the phenomenon.