Voting for a presidential ticket is a common characteristic that is particular to the majority of presidential systems. When a voter chooses a candidate for president, they are actually also voting for the other person on the ticket, in other words, the potential successor if the mandate is interrupted. Therefore, the selection of the candidate who will run for election alongside the presidential candidate represents an opportunity to nominate someone who can increase the ticket’s electorate or increase a possible president’s capacity for governance. In the literature there is an absence of systematic studies of these strategies used in the selection of vice-presidential candidates. In order to fill part of this gap, this study proposes a Vice-Presidential Candidate Profile Index (VPCPI), which allows an analysis of the strategies adopted in the selection of running mates. For the case of Brazil after redemocratization, the results were hybrid, in other words, strategies were adopted to select candidates who can help attract votes for the ticket, but who also have political experience to act in future governments.

Resumo: A história recente tem demonstrado que o vice-presidente é um ator relevante no cenário político, não somente no Brasil, mas também nos demais países da América Latina. Alguns estudos têm se debruçado sobre a vice-presidência, mas o interesse da área sobre o assunto é relativamente recente. Para dar mais visibilidade ao tema, o objetivo deste artigo é mapear a literatura, apontar os achados e indicar linhas de pesquisa em aberto. Para isso, utilizou-se como instrumento metodológico a revisão de escopo, técnica que aplica protocolos transparentes e replicáveis no levantamento e seleção de trabalhos. No geral, a literatura tem tratado de aspectos institucionais da vice-presidência, os processos decisórios dos atores na arena eleitoral e a questão sucessória. A agenda de pesquisa futura aponta a necessidade de a literatura aprofundar as investigações sobre as negociações interpartidárias na nomeação de candidatos à vice-presidência, bem como o desempenho do vice no governo e a tendência crescente de vice-presidentes mulheres.

Abstract: Recent political events have shown that the vice-president is a significant player in the political arena, not only in the Brazilian case but also in other Latin American countries. Some studies have indeed focused on the vice-presidency, but this interest is quite recent. This article maps the literature, identifying its main findings, and proposing an agenda for future research. To this end, we conducted a scoping review. This review technique requires transparent and replicable protocols for searching and selecting published studies. The review finds that the literature on the vice-presidency has focused on institutional aspects, on how political actors make decisions in the electoral arena about the VP candidate, and on the issue of succession. Future research should explore interparty negotiations on the nomination of running mates, the vice-presidents’ performance of their duties, and the growing tendency for women to take office as vice-president.

Abstract: Recent events have attracted attention to the vice presidency. Therein lies the debate surrounding the selection of candidates for the position. In presidential regimes, the candidate for vice president competes in the presidential ticket. Despite being widely adopted in Latin America, there are few studies on this subject. Given this absence, this study investigates the criteria and strategies for selecting vice-presidential candidates in Brazil after re-democratization. The aim is to verify if the strategies and criteria present in the theoretical framework apply to the Brazilian case. The findings indicate that the selectors look for candidates who can contribute electorally to the formula, but also have government skills to assist the future president. In particular, the selectors choose vice presidency candidates with an extensive political career, that come from populous States, that are from a different region and age generation of the presidency candidate.

Resumo: Acontecimentos recentes têm atraído a atenção sobre a vice-presidência. Nisso está o debate entorno da seleção de candidato para o cargo. Nos regimes presidencialistas, o candidato a vice-presidente concorre na fórmula presidencial. Apesar de ser um instituto amplamente adotado na América Latina, há poucos trabalhos sobre esse tema. Dada essa ausência, este estudo investiga os critérios e as estratégias de seleção de candidatos à vice-presidência no Brasil pós-redemocratização. O objetivo é verificar se os critérios e as estratégias presentes no referencial teórico são aplicáveis ao caso brasileiro. Os achados indicam que os selecionadores procuram candidatos que possam auxiliar eleitoralmente a fórmula, mas que tenham, também, habilidade governativa para auxiliar o futuro presidente. Em específico, são escolhidos os candidatos com extensa carreira política, vindos de estados populosos, que equilibrem regionalmente com o candidato à presidência e que sejam de outra geração etária.