Territorio and Gestión: the extra-legislative activity of Argentine lower house members

Abstract

This article addresses the territorial representation role of a non-legislative nature of Lower Chamber members in Argentina; proposing the concept of territorial habitus. With a qualitative methodological strategy, based on in-depth interviews, the article shows that a group of legislators presents similar practices and ways of perceiving their role, taking territorial representation tasks for granted and including activities of intermediation between the territory and bureaucracy in its different levels, classified as gestión. The role of national mediators represents an important source of power. It also implies that the role of territorial representation is not only deployed in the districts, but also in Buenos Aires.