There are several elements in the political culture of small Brazilian towns, working against the democratic process and solidarity in the community, leading to the deconstruction of the civic spirit. In this scenario, patronage deserves to be mentioned, along with patrimonialism and personalism. In order to discuss the domination and validity of these elements, this article presents the case of Poço Fundo, a small municipality located in southern Minas Gerais. Three situations were highlighted to demonstrate how these practices are tolerated and converted into individual strategy in the face of public inefficiency and insensitivity, explaining how politicians take advantages for themselves and their political parties of the favors rendered and how the cyclical nature of privileges constrain collective action that are capable to result in resistance to the town´s political divide. The precariousness of the public services identified in the answers and descriptions of the interviewees, although it seems to be a cause of this culture of doing favors, is above all else the product of this. Thus, it is clear that population of Poço Fundo has not become a beneficiary of these practices, but rather a hostage of the political system.
Patrimonialism; Patronage; Domination; Public administration
