Plebiscits, Referendums and Popular Initiatives in Latin America: Mechanisms of Political Control or Politically Controlled Exercises
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18504/pl1835-009-2010Keywords:
plebiscites, referendums, popular initiatives, democracy, accountability.Abstract
This study examines the different ways in which citizens decide directly at the polls on topics of their concern. The direct appeal to the citizenry seems to be increasingly popular in the region and many authors do not see in it more than the use of institutional resources by the authorities to advance a particular political agenda. However, direct democracy is a much more heterogeneous phenomenon than these authors usually grant. In fact, the results of popular votes are generally much tighter than one might assume. Surprisingly, the evidence shows that when used by government agents in Latin America, the rate acceptance does not exceed 55%, even lower than the rate of approval when they are initiated by citizens (56%). This does not mean that, on occasions, authorities use them as exercises of popular mobilization or as tools seeking popular legitimization of the desires of political elites.Downloads
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References
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Breuer, Anita, 2007, "Institutions of Direct Democracy and Accountability in Latin America's Presidential Democracies", Democratization 14, num. 4, pp. 554–579.
Buquet, Daniel, 2007, "Entre la legitimidad y la eficacia: reformas en los sistemas de elección presidencial en América Latina", Revista Uruguaya de Ciencia Política 16, pp. 35–49.
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Feoli, Ludovico, 2009, "Costa Rica después del TLC: ¿la calma que sigue a la tempestad?", Revista de Ciencia Política 29, núm. 2, pp. 355–379.
Franklin, Mark, Cees van der Eijk y Michael Marsh, 1995, "Referendum Outcomes and Trust in Government: Public Support for Europe in the Wake of Maastricht", West European Politics 18, num. 3, pp. 101–117.
Freiré, André y Michael A. Baum, 2003, "Referenda Voting in Portugal, 1998: The Effects of Party Sympathies, Social Structure and Pressure Groups", European Journal of Political Research 42, num. 1, pp. 135–161.
Frey Bruno S., Marcel Kucher y Alois Stutzer, 2001, "Outcome, Process and Power in Direct Democracy — New Econometric Results", Public Choice 107, núms. 3–4, pp. 271–293.
Frey, Bruno S. y Alois Stutzer, 2000, "Happiness Prospers in Democracy", Journal of Happiness Studies 1 , num. 1, pp. 79–102.
Gamble, Barbara S., 1997, "Putting Civil Rights to a Popular Vote", American Journal of Political Science 41, num. 1, pp. 245–269.
Hautala, Heidi, Bruno Kaufmann y Diana Wallis, 2002, Voices of Europe: IRI Europe Report on the Growing Importance of Initiatives and Referendums in the European Integration Process, Amsterdam, Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe.
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Higley, John e Ian McAllister, 2002, "Elite Division and Voter Confusion: Australia's Republic Referendum in 1999", European Journal of Political Research 41, num. 6, pp. 845–861.
Hobolt, Sara B., 2007, "Taking Cues on Europe? Voter Competence and Party Endorsements in Referendums on European Integration", European Journal of Political Research 46, num. 2, pp. 151–182.
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Magleby, David B., 1984, Direct Legislation: Voting on Ballot Propositions in the United States, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press.
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O'Donnell, Guillermo, 1994, "Delegative Democracy", Journal of Democracy 5, núm. 1, pp. 55–69.
Payne, J. Mark et al., 2006, La política importa: democracia y desarrollo en América Latina, Washington, D.C., BID–Instituto Internacional para la Democracia y la Asistencia Electoral.
Phillips, Anne, 1991, Engendering Democracy, University Park, The Pennsylvania State University Press.
Qvortrup, Mads, 2005, A Comparative Study of Referendums: Government by the People, Manchester, Manchester University Press.
Qvortrup, Mads, 1999, "A.V. Dicey: The Referendum as the People's Veto", History of Political Thought 20, núm. 3, pp. 531–546.
Sartori, Giovanni, 1987, The Theory of Democracy Revisited, Nueva Jersey, Chatham House.
Setälä, Maija, 2006a, "National Referendums in European Democracies: Recent Developments", Representation 42, núm. 1, pp. 13–23.
Setälä, Maija, 2006b, "On the Problems of Responsibility and Accountability in Referendums", European Journal of Political Research 45, núm. 4, pp. 699–721.
Svensson, Palle, 2002, "Five Danish Referendums on the European Community and European Union: A Critical Assessment of the Franklin Thesis", European Journal of Political Research 41, núm. 6, pp. 733–750.
The Economist, 1996, "Happy 21st Century, Voters!", The Economist, 21 de diciembre.
Tsebelis, George, 1995, "Decision Making in Political Systems: Veto Players in Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, Multicameralism and Multipartyism", British Journal of Political Science 25, núm. 3, pp. 289–325.
Uggla, Fredrik, 2009, "Bolivia: un año de vivir peligrosamente", Revista de Ciencia Política 29, núm. 2, pp. 247–273.
Welp, Yanina y Uwe Serdült, 2009, Armas de doble filo: la participación ciudadana en la encrucijada, Buenos Aires, Prometeo.
Wheatley, Jonathan, 2008, "Direct Democracy in the Commonweath of Independent States: The State of the Art", C2D Working Paper Series 28.
Altman, David, 2008, "Collegiate Executives and Direct Democracy in Switzerland and Uruguay: Similar Institutions, Opposite Political Goals, Distinct Results", Swiss Political Science Review 14, num. 3, pp. 483–520.
Altman, David, 2005, "Democracia directa en el continente americano: ¿autolegitimación gubernamental o censura ciudadana?", Política y Gobierno XII, núm. 2, pp. 203–232.
Barczak, Monica, 2001, "Representation by Consultation? The Rise of Direct Democracy in Latin America", Latin American Politics & Society 43, num. 3, pp. 37–59.
Breuer, Anita, 2009, "The Use of Government–Initiated Referendums in Latin America: Towards a Theory of Referendum Causes", Revista de Ciencia Política 29, num. 1, pp. 23–55.
Breuer, Anita, 2008, "Policymaking by Referendum in Presidential Systems: Evidence from the Bolivian and the Colombian Cases", Latin American Politics & Society 50, num. 4, pp. 59–89.
Breuer, Anita, 2007, "Institutions of Direct Democracy and Accountability in Latin America's Presidential Democracies", Democratization 14, num. 4, pp. 554–579.
Buquet, Daniel, 2007, "Entre la legitimidad y la eficacia: reformas en los sistemas de elección presidencial en América Latina", Revista Uruguaya de Ciencia Política 16, pp. 35–49.
Cunningham, Frank, 2002, Theories of Democracy: A Critical Introduction, Londres, Routledge.
Dahl, Robert, 1989, Democracy and Its Critics, New Haven, Yale University Press.
Dalton, Russell J., Susan E. Scarrow y Bruce E. Cain, 2004, "Advanced Democracies and the New Politics", Journal of Democracy 15, num. 1, pp. 124–138.
Dunn, John, 1979, Western Political Theory in the Face of the Future, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Feoli, Ludovico, 2009, "Costa Rica después del TLC: ¿la calma que sigue a la tempestad?", Revista de Ciencia Política 29, núm. 2, pp. 355–379.
Franklin, Mark, Cees van der Eijk y Michael Marsh, 1995, "Referendum Outcomes and Trust in Government: Public Support for Europe in the Wake of Maastricht", West European Politics 18, num. 3, pp. 101–117.
Freiré, André y Michael A. Baum, 2003, "Referenda Voting in Portugal, 1998: The Effects of Party Sympathies, Social Structure and Pressure Groups", European Journal of Political Research 42, num. 1, pp. 135–161.
Frey Bruno S., Marcel Kucher y Alois Stutzer, 2001, "Outcome, Process and Power in Direct Democracy — New Econometric Results", Public Choice 107, núms. 3–4, pp. 271–293.
Frey, Bruno S. y Alois Stutzer, 2000, "Happiness Prospers in Democracy", Journal of Happiness Studies 1 , num. 1, pp. 79–102.
Gamble, Barbara S., 1997, "Putting Civil Rights to a Popular Vote", American Journal of Political Science 41, num. 1, pp. 245–269.
Hautala, Heidi, Bruno Kaufmann y Diana Wallis, 2002, Voices of Europe: IRI Europe Report on the Growing Importance of Initiatives and Referendums in the European Integration Process, Amsterdam, Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe.
Held, David, 1993, Prospects for Democracy, Standford, Standford University Press.
Higley, John e Ian McAllister, 2002, "Elite Division and Voter Confusion: Australia's Republic Referendum in 1999", European Journal of Political Research 41, num. 6, pp. 845–861.
Hobolt, Sara B., 2007, "Taking Cues on Europe? Voter Competence and Party Endorsements in Referendums on European Integration", European Journal of Political Research 46, num. 2, pp. 151–182.
Kaufmann, Bruno, Rolf Büchi y Nadja Braun, 2008, Guidebook to Direct Democracy in Switzerland and Beyond. 2008 Edition, Berna, Benteli Hallwag Druck AG.
LeDuc, Lawrence, 2003, The Politics of Direct Democracy: Referendums in Global Perspective, Ontario, Broadview Press.
Lijphart, Arend, 1984, Democracies: Patter of Majoritarian and Consensus Government in Twenty–One Countries, New Haven, Yale University Press.
Magleby, David B., 1984, Direct Legislation: Voting on Ballot Propositions in the United States, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press.
Marxer, Wilfried y Zoltán Tibor Pállinger, 2007, "Stabilising or Destabilising? Direct–Democratic Instruments in Different Political Systems – Liechtenstein and Switzerland Compared", Helsinki, ponencia presentada en ECPR Joint Sessions, 7–12 de mayo.
Méndez, Fernando, Mario Méndez y Vasiliki Triga, 2009, "Direct Democracy in the European Union: How Comparative Federalism Can Help Us Understand the Interplay of Direct Democracy and European Integration", Revista de Ciencia Política 29, num. 1, pp. 57–83.
Mittendorf, Volker, 2007, "Databases for (Empirical) Research on 'Direct Democracy'", en Z.T. Pállinger et al. (eds.), Direct Democracy in Europe: Developments and Prospects, Wiesbaden, VS Verlag fur Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 207–218.
O'Donnell, Guillermo, 1994, "Delegative Democracy", Journal of Democracy 5, núm. 1, pp. 55–69.
Payne, J. Mark et al., 2006, La política importa: democracia y desarrollo en América Latina, Washington, D.C., BID–Instituto Internacional para la Democracia y la Asistencia Electoral.
Phillips, Anne, 1991, Engendering Democracy, University Park, The Pennsylvania State University Press.
Qvortrup, Mads, 2005, A Comparative Study of Referendums: Government by the People, Manchester, Manchester University Press.
Qvortrup, Mads, 1999, "A.V. Dicey: The Referendum as the People's Veto", History of Political Thought 20, núm. 3, pp. 531–546.
Sartori, Giovanni, 1987, The Theory of Democracy Revisited, Nueva Jersey, Chatham House.
Setälä, Maija, 2006a, "National Referendums in European Democracies: Recent Developments", Representation 42, núm. 1, pp. 13–23.
Setälä, Maija, 2006b, "On the Problems of Responsibility and Accountability in Referendums", European Journal of Political Research 45, núm. 4, pp. 699–721.
Svensson, Palle, 2002, "Five Danish Referendums on the European Community and European Union: A Critical Assessment of the Franklin Thesis", European Journal of Political Research 41, núm. 6, pp. 733–750.
The Economist, 1996, "Happy 21st Century, Voters!", The Economist, 21 de diciembre.
Tsebelis, George, 1995, "Decision Making in Political Systems: Veto Players in Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, Multicameralism and Multipartyism", British Journal of Political Science 25, núm. 3, pp. 289–325.
Uggla, Fredrik, 2009, "Bolivia: un año de vivir peligrosamente", Revista de Ciencia Política 29, núm. 2, pp. 247–273.
Welp, Yanina y Uwe Serdült, 2009, Armas de doble filo: la participación ciudadana en la encrucijada, Buenos Aires, Prometeo.
Wheatley, Jonathan, 2008, "Direct Democracy in the Commonweath of Independent States: The State of the Art", C2D Working Paper Series 28.
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2010-01-01
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Altman, D. (2010). Plebiscits, Referendums and Popular Initiatives in Latin America: Mechanisms of Political Control or Politically Controlled Exercises. Perfiles Latinoamericanos, 18(35), 9–34. https://doi.org/10.18504/pl1835-009-2010
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