ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the forms of political capital that aspirants to the Chilean political elite have used in their access to and ascendance in the political field. Studies of political careers in countries such as the United States, Mexico, Brazil, France, and Chile suggest a few major types of political capital. One of these is bequeathed as family capital. Social scientists have long been interested in the institutional logic of the selection and recruitment of candidates for election and political appointment. The political field is characterized by many forms of closure. The social composition of the political elite reveals the social nature of the closure of the political field. Political capital is resources with their origin exclusively in the political field, such as party membership, campaigning on behalf of an election candidate, and regular participation in collective activities in support of a cause.
