The Quality of Democracies in Latin America The Quality of Democracies in Latin America The Quality of Democracies in Latin America Lead writer Leonardo Morlino Contributors Juan Rial Manuel Alcántara Sáez Massimo Tommasoli Daniel Zovatto © 2016 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance International IDEA Strömsborg SE-103 34, STOCKHOLM SWEDEN Tel: +46 8 698 37 00, fax: +46 8 20 24 22 Email: [email protected], website: www.idea.int First published in Spanish as La calidad de las democracias en América Latina: Informe para IDEA Internacional (Stockholm and San José: International IDEA, 2013). A second, revised Spanish edition was published in 2014. The electronic version of this publication is available under a Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication as well as to remix and adapt it provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication and that you distribute it under an identical licence. For more information on this licence see: <http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/>. International IDEA publications are independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of International IDEA, its Board or its Council members. Translator: Charles Roberts Cover design: Turbo Design Layout and typesetting: Turbo Design Printed by: AGS Custom Graphics, An RR Donnelley Company ISBN: 978-91-7671-050-0 Contents List of tables and figures .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Preface .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Foreword and acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 13 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 The quality of democracy in Latin America 35 years after the start of the third wave of democratization in the region ............... 17 A change of epoch: global and regional trends ........................................................... 19 The impact of global and regional changes on the quality of democracy in Latin America ...................................................................................................................... 20 35 years holding our breath ......................................................................................................................... 21 Support for and satisfaction with democracy ............................................................... 22 Strengthening electoral democracy ............................................................................................. 23 Tasks pending .................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Halfway there: much has been achieved but much remains to be done .................................................................................................................................................... 29 What, then, is a quality democracy? ............................................................................................ 33 The current debate about the quality of democracy........................................... 35 Final considerations ................................................................................................................................................ 39 2. Theoretical framework .................................................................................................................................... 43 Literature review .......................................................................................................................................................... 43 Quality and qualities................................................................................................................................................ 46 Procedures ............................................................................................................................................................................. 48 Substantive dimensions .................................................................................................................................... 56 Outcomes .................................................................................................................................................................................. 59 3. Empirical analysis ..................................................................................................................................................... 63 A general overview of Latin America .......................................................................................... 63 Further examination of sub-dimensions ................................................................................. 75 Critical issues and policy recommendations ................................................................... 79 4. Concluding remarks ................................................................................................................................................ 91 5. Postscript: the quality of democracy ........................................................................................ 95 The end of the consensus regarding the definition of democracy and its relationship with republicanism ................................... 95 The performance of elected governments and democracy .................... 96 The ‘new caudillos’ ................................................................................................................................................... 98 Difficulties implementing ‘negative integration’........................................................ 99 5 Attempts to create mechanisms of direct democracy and the development of new institutions have not always strengthened democracy ............................................................................................................................................................................... 100 Current political discourse in a market economy and society ............ 101 Social changes condition institutional development ......................................... 102 There is no question that the position of women in Latin America has improved, but the situation of youth has not improved as much ....................................................................................................................................................... 103 Social protest as a constant and the new forms it takes: virtual assemblies .............................................................................................................................................................................. 104 Rule of law, elections, participation and other relevant issues on the day-to-day agenda of proposed institutional changes............. 105 A basic agenda for discussion on institutions .............................................................. 106 Final general consideration ......................................................................................................................... 108 6. The new constitutionalism: re-foundational constitutions ................... 111 7. Politics and the quality of democracy in Latin America: considerations to supplement the analysis ..................................................................... 123 Politics in Latin America from 1978 to the Present ............................................. 123 The quality of democracy in Latin America in 2012 in diachronic perspective ............................................................................................................................................................................ 127 Final considerations ................................................................................................................................................ 136 References and further reading ..................................................................................................................... 140 Annexes ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 150 Annex 1. Basic sub-dimensions and guiding questions .......................................... 151 The rule of law .................................................................................................................................................................. 151 Electoral accountability .................................................................................................................................... 152 Inter-institutional accountability ........................................................................................................ 153 Political participation ...........................................................................................................................................