Beyond the broadest mechanisms of democratic participation (voting and political parties) there are a vast array of different ways that citizens can participate in the business of making decisions that will affect their lives. This article examines some of those mechanisms in Chile through the lens of citizen participation. The paper develops -and then critically analyses, within the context of Chilean politics- three broad categories of institutions: legislative branch inclusion (the institutional arrangements and mechanisms which provide access points for non-state actors into the legislative process); executive branch inclusion (ways in which citizens can interact directly with the executive branch); and legal institutions (laws and legal rules which promote monitoring of public activities, transparency and participation though legal channels). In addition, two final categories touch upon questions of access to information; and what are called here "soapbox rules", or institutions which foster the use of public spaces.
Artículos
| Autores | Título | Documento Digital | Resumen |
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Noé, Marcela |
Civil participation in social policy making | LFLACSO-01-Noe.pdf (319.15 KB) | Resumen |
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The major challenge of the article is to link the workings of the state with civil sector participation in formulating public policies. The article postulates that a good path to amplify and deepen democracy is one that incorporates policy making with those who are directly affected. In this perspective, democracy should establish institutional mechanisms for public participation. In particular, democracy should include some degree of civilian representation in the formation of policies. The author states that democracy is strengthened through the incorporation of ideas and opinions of citizens. His argument promotes the idea that the civilian must be part of the process and playa critical role in the decision making process. This offers legitimacy and a feeling of self importance for civilians included in the political forum, and leads to greater commitment towards improving the policy making of the state. |
Bickford, Louis |
Public participation, political institutions and democracy in Chile, 1990-1997 | LFLACSO-02-Bickford.pdf (1.92 MB) | Resumen |
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In spite of an almost overwhelming optimism about the wave of democracies that has swept the Third World in the last decade, it is unclear how sustainable many of these democracies really are. While it is true that first time in history, most Latin American countries today have regular elections and other important elements of democratic rule- it is also true that many of these democracies risk becoming stagnated, overly centralized, and exclusive, or that they may not be able to produce the results that their populations demand (such as a reduction of income inequality, or increased political participation). A number of political theorists have warned against falling prey to the fallacy of electoralism, the idea that a country is fully democratic and will stay that way for the foreseeable future just because they have instituted regular elections. Others have similarly questioned the "depth" of existing democracies, asking whether or not they are likely to survive the intense pressures generated by globalization, for example, or overcome problems such as authoritarian pasts (Chile, Argentina), governmental fragmentation (Brazil), the re-emergence of populism (Ecuador), clientelism (Mexico, Brazil), or the centralization of political power by "authoritarian democrats" (Peru). |
