The Quality of Democracy in Latin America Maxwell A. Cameron Poli 332 March 1, 2010.

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

• 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 majority

No – 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