Democracy in Latin America Today Poli 332

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Democracy in Latin America TodayPoli 332

• Max Cameron
• January 7, 2010

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Freedom House, Map of Freedom, 2009http//www.fre
edomhouse.org/
Latin America has become overwhelmingly
democratic
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Yet Coups Are not Entirely a Thing of the Past

• Honduras Chronology
• http//www.as-coa.org/article.php?id2008
• What is at stake in Honduras?
• Elections?
• Constitutional order?
• Participation?

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Democracy Basic Principles

• Participation - self-governing community of
  equals (etymology rule of people)
• Competition - parties lose elections
• Public Accountability - those in power must offer
  reasons for actions and defend them against
  criticism in public

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Elements of Polyarchy

• Freedom to form and join organizations
• Freedom of expresion
• The right to vote
• Eligibility for public office
• The right of political leaders to compete for
  support and votes
• Alternative sources of information
• Free and fair elections
• Institutions for making government policies
  depend on votes and other expressions of
  preference.
• Review Smith pp. 6-7

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What does polyarchy leave out?

• Civilian supremacy over the armed forces
• The independence of the judiciary and the rule of
  law
• Certain features of state-ness
• The constitutional separation of powers
• Citizenship and participation beyond elections
• Socio-economic equality

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Types of Regimes
Totalitarianism Eg. Communism, Fascism
Democracy
Authoritarianism, See Linz in Smith p. 10
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Types of Democracy

• Electoral democracy (polyarchy)
• Liberal democracy (electoral democracy with
  constitutional protection of liberal rights and
  freedoms)
• Illiberal democracy (electoral democracy without
  constitutional protection of liberal rights and
  freedoms)
• Delegative democracy (electoral democracy without
  horizontal accountability)

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Delegative Democracy

• Delegative democracy is a term coined by
  Argentine political scientist Guillermo ODonnell
  to describe democratic regimes in which
  presidents do their very best, and largely
  succeed, in having their powers unchecked by
  legislatures, courts, or other mechanisms of
  horizontal accountability (in which state
  agencies oversee and sanction public officials).
  Review Smith, p. 13.

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Examples

• Peru under Fujimori 1990-1995
• Argentina under Carlos Menem, 1989-1999
• Colombia under Alvaro Uribe 2002-
• Venezuela under Hugo Chavez 1998-

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Is there such a thing as a constitutional coup?

• http//www.themarknews.com/articles/568-a-coup-is-
  a-coup-is-a-coup