Prospects for E-Government in Latin America: Satisfaction With Democracy, Social Accountability, and Direct Democracy

2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Altman
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Satisfaction With Democracy

scholarly journals Bridging Regionalism and Secessionism: Territorial Autonomy Movements in the Iberian World

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Matthias vom Hau ◽  
Hana Srebotnjak
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
World Region ◽  
Regional Comparison ◽  
Movement Theory ◽  
Political Exclusion ◽  
Autonomy Movements

Abstract In comparative works on nationalism, Latin America is usually portrayed as a world region that is devoid of nationalist and separatist movements, while in Europe nationalist movements seeking greater self-determination or separate statehood can be easily observed. This article takes a different perspective. Applying the concept of territorial autonomy movements, it pursues a cross-regional comparison of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, Guayas in Ecuador, and Catalonia in Spain to show that movements strikingly similar with regards to their core claims, diagnostic frames, and tactics do in fact exist across the Iberian world. The chapter then draws on social movement theory to account for the recent intensification of territorial autonomy mobilizations in these cases. We argue that in all three substate units (1) threats of political exclusion emanating from contestations over established power-sharing arrangements triggered territorial grievances; (2) the formation of dense associational networks and new alliances with subnational party and state representatives enhanced the organizational resources of territorial challengers; and (3) broader protest cycles, and their concern with direct democracy and/or multicultural group rights, provided territorial challengers with new framing strategies to justify their demands.

scholarly journals Social Capital and Quality of Democracy Revisited in a Comparative Perspective

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conceição Pequito Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Political Attitudes ◽  
Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Satisfaction With Democracy

To what extent, if any, does social capital contribute to the democratic formation of citizens´attitudes? It is a major influence among several others or just a minor one when it comes to forming political attitudes? This paper provides an empirical answer to these questions, drawing from the 2010 European Social Survey questionnaire. Its first section includes a discussion about the quality of democarcy in the culturalist approach of Political Science. The following section addresses the operationalization of the concept of quality of democracy and its main dimensions, with particular attention to social accountability. It then seeks to relate the concepts of social accountability as a pivotal dimension of the quality of democracy and social capital as formulated By Robert Putman. We used a multivariate regression analysis to test our hypotheses, which focus on whether the components that make up social capital have a differentiated impact on the formation of political attitudes, i.e. on the degree of satisfaction with democracy and trust in political institutions in old and new democracies.Key-Words: Quality of Democracy, Social Accountability, Social Capital, Satisfaction with Democracy, Trust in Political Institutions.

scholarly journals Basics of direct democracy in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-366
Author(s):  
Anton I. Emelyanov ◽  
◽  
Yaroslava V. Varnatskaya ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Direct Democracy

Representation By Consultation? The Rise of Direct Democracy in Latin America

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Barczak
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Party System ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
The United States ◽  
Constitutional Reform ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
National Comparison ◽  
Cross National

AbstractMost of the countries of South America experienced two notable institutional phenomena during the 1990s: the reform or rewriting of constitutions and the emergence of direct democracy mechanisms. This paper examines the latter process through a cross-national comparison. The introduction of direct democracy mechanisms is typically driven by traditionally excluded political interests. It takes two forms, both involving the failure of representative democratic institutions. In most cases, these traditionally excluded interests win control over the constitutional reform and rewriting process, although this is not a necessary condition for the emergence of direct democracy. Drawing illustrations from 12 cases of constitutional reform, this paper links arguments about direct democracy in the United States and Western Europe, institutional change, neopopulism, and the decline of the party system in Latin America.

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