Consistency in the declaration of assets of candidates in the brazilian elections: fiction or reality?

Abstract Candidates data in the Brazilian elections of 2010, 2012 and 2014 were compared with information regarding the population in general. A total of 486,832 applications were analyzed. The candidates presented higher age and level of schooling than the Brazilian population in general. As previous research positively correlates age and level of schooling with assets, it can be assumed that the candidates would have greater assets, on average, than the general population. The study showed that candidates had more residencies and vehicles than the general population. However, the percentage of candidates who had bank assets was very low compared to the population. The results point out that a portion of the candidates’ assets is not correctly declared, which creates a serious problem in the principal-agent relationship.