the quality of democracy in latin america
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The Quality of Democracy in Latin America. Maxwell A. Cameron Poli 332 March 1, 2010. Dimensions. Electoral Constitutional Citizenship. Electoral. Right to vote and run for office Clean elections Free elections Elected officials . Constitutional. Checks and balances - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Quality of Democracy in Latin America
Maxwell A. CameronPoli 332
March 1, 2010
Dimensions
• Electoral
• Constitutional
• Citizenship
Electoral
• Right to vote and run for office• Clean elections• Free elections• Elected officials
Constitutional
• Checks and balances• Judicial independence• Civilian control over military
Citizen Participation
• Three generations of rights• Active participation• Constitutional change by democratic
means
(A) Electoral Democracy at Risk?
Popular leaders, dirty elections
• Hugo Chávez & Alvaro Uribe• Irregularities in elections
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Venezuela: “Lista Russian”• Comptroller general bans candidates
– Violation of the right to run for office
Colombia: La Parapolitica• 81 investigations, 32 sentences• Violence in election process
– Paras, narcos, guerrillas
(B) Concentration of Power
Venezuela - Chávez
• No checks and balances. • No judicial independence• Uncertainty over alternation
Bolivia Morales
Checks and balances Yes, congress
– CA process– Now has majorityNo – Weak party system – Emergence of single party
Judicial Independence Threatened in Bolivia
– Constitutional tribunal closed, then stacked– Appointments to supreme court
Ecuador - Correa
• Conflict among branches of power• Disputes involve the election authority and
constitutional tribunal
Colombia - Uribe• 1991 constitution• Judicial independence• Re-election threat
(C) Citizens’ Democracies Under Construction
Participation
• Referenda• Recall• Initiative by citizens• Community councils• Participatory budgeting
Venezuela
Community Councils• 26,000• Presidential commission• Mayors and governors
Bolivia
– MAS as instrument– Agrarian reform– Municipal government– Juridical pluralism
Ecuador
New constitution• Recall, citizen initiative• Participatory budgeting• New civil society organs
– Undermining parties?
PerúParticipation in Law Ley 26300 (Ley de referendos)
– In practice, neglected• Eg Bagua
Chile
– No participation– Despite Bachelet’s efforts
(D) Constituent Power
– Creating hegemony?
– Overcoming exclusion?
Venezuela
– Chávez’s role– Congress closed– Outcome– Constituent power as permenent process
• Re-election• Consejos Comunales
Bolivia
– Social movement pressure– Congress not closed– No super majority– Negotiation– Hybrid outcome
Ecuador
– Presidential protagonism– Congress displaced– Participatory but not deliberative
• 70,000 participants• Acosta’s resignation
– Limited advances for indigenous
Summary and Conclusions
• Rankings not useful– Election irregularties serious– Constitutional problems pervasive– Participation where representation weak
• Against two regoins – Colombia and Venezuela alike– Perú & Chile not participatory– Bolivia & Venezuela different in CA process