Rethinking and Reworking Democracy in Bolivia and Ecuador: Constitutional Change from the Perspective of Democratic Theory (original) (raw)

The paper takes a comparative look at the ongoing processes of rethinking and reworking democracy in Bolivia and Ecuador. It analyzes the new constitutions in both countries as the politicoinstitutional expression of these processes of transforming democracy within democracy. The paper tries to capture the shapes of the democratic institutions and processes as conceptualized by the new Magna Cartas. It specifically asks whether the constitutions comprise elements that deviate from -or go beyond -the mainstream model of liberal democracy and to what extent these constitute alternatives, complements or substitutes to liberal-democratic concepts. The theoretic premise is that each really existing democratic order is a specific blend of contradictory democratic principles (e.g., sovereignty of the people vs. constitutionalism, majority rule vs. protection of minorities, political equality vs. individual freedom, individual equality vs. recognition of cultural differences). The processes of constitutional change in Bolivia and Ecuador can, thus, be read as attempts to readjust and rebalance these principles by strengthening the plebiscitary and participatory aspects of democracy as well as the economic, social and cultural dimensions of human rights.