The identification of power groups that act within the political structure is a tool for citizens and also a challenging research topic as an unstable and complex force of interests system. This paper presents metrics based on sociologist Manuel Castells' Network Theory of Power that reflect key factors for evaluating power: the imbalance between relationships; the ability to program the rules and protocols of the network; and the ability to serve as a switcher between two or more networks. A case study was developed using a network built on data from Brazilian Elections about electoral donations since 2002. The application of the metrics enabled to highlight some of the corporate and party interests dominant in the Brazilian context. The proposed metrics reflect the main contribution of this work: an approximation between sociology theory and topological analysis of a network. The use of domain knowledge combined with bottom-up strategies can leverage the comprehension of power and influence in political networks.
A análise de quanto poder um ator tem sobre o outro é fundamental para entender a que interesses suas ações estão subordinadas. Este trabalho apresenta métricas para a análise fundamentado em bases teóricas da sociologia que refletem o desequilíbrio entre as relações, principal fonte de poder em uma rede social. Métricas que se aplicam ao relacionamento entre cada par de nós, e são calculadas em relação a toda a estrutura de poder da rede. Como instrumento de validação empírico foi feito estudo de caso com as doações eleitorais recebidas por partidos e senadores nas campanhas de 2010 e 2014. A aplicação das métricas permitiu evidenciar alguns interesses corporativos e partidários existentes hoje no Senado Federal brasileiro.
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