Democracy in Latin America Today Poli 332 Max Cameron January 7, 2010

Freedom House, Map of Freedom, Latin America has become overwhelmingly democratic

Yet Coups Are not Entirely a Thing of the Past Honduras Chronology What is at stake in Honduras? –Elections? –Constitutional order? –Participation?

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

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

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

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

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”)

Delegative Democracy Delegative democracy is a term coined by Argentine political scientist Guillermo O’Donnell 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.

Examples Peru under Fujimori Argentina under Carlos Menem, Colombia under Alvaro Uribe Venezuela under Hugo Chavez 1998-

Is there such a thing as a constitutional coup? a-coup-is-a-couphttp:// a-coup-is-a-coup